Kevin Kilgore
2023 Sandra Sagear Wall of Courage Honoree
I would like to nominate my son, Kevin Kilgore, as one of the names to be placed on the Sandra Saeger Wall of Courage wall at Plymouth High School. Kevin was a recipient of a Sandra Saeger scholarship when he graduated from Salem High School in 2003.
Kevin has had various struggles throughout his life but he always works hard to succeed. When Kevin was a toddler he was diagnosed with an extra ear canal. This canal had sever blockage and also created severe blockage for the “normal” ear canal on that side. We didn’t realize he couldn’t hear well until he was about 3 years old. Once this was realized he had several surgeries to correct some of his hearing problem. He was then enrolled into Plymouth-Canton’s ISEP program where he received speech therapy. The speech therapy lasted from age 3 through his elementary years.
When Kevin was in 1st grade he was diagnosed with a Learning Disability and ADHD. This was in addition to his speech impediment. His IEP allowed him to get assistance from a Resource Room teacher, which he did from 1st -8th grade. Kevin worked well with visuals and manipulatives. He was a more hands on learner. Kevin struggled with the stigma from his peers of seeing both a Resource Room teacher and Speech Teacher. Kevin’s older brother gave him guidance and inspiration to succeed when he was frustrated. He had always inspired Kevin to “never give up!”
In March of Kevin’s 7th grade year his older brother, Mike, passed away suddenly from Long QT, a undetected heart condition. While this was devastating enough for our family, Kevin was also given the news that he too probably had Long QT. This was diagnosed through testing. This was a frightening diagnosis for Kevin. He lost his brother, best friend and then was told he too may have the same condition that caused his brother’s sudden death. This would make many people give up and crawl into a hole. While there were plenty of dark days Kevin never gave up on himself either physically or emotionally.
When Kevin went to Salem High School he wanted to see if he could succeed using a class period for assistance. Instead of a Resource Room teacher he was assigned a Teacher Consultant that he could see on an as needed basis. Kevin would use his lunch hour if needed to get additional assistance of take his exams in the quiet of the consultant’s room. In high school Kevin made the decision that he wanted to be a fire fighter/paramedic. He wanted to help other individuals and families. He wanted to a chance to not only save lives but help others who have suffered a loss such as our family had. Today Kevin works as a firefighter/paramedic at Metro Airport. He is known for his work ethic and empathy towards others. Kevin truly is an example of courage with a fighting spirit.
Submitted by Barbara Kilgore, Kevin’s mother