Widow of fallen firefighter gives birth

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Lawrenceburg Fire Department

Exactly one month after a Tennessee firefighter was killed in the line of duty, his widow gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Monday.

At 8 pounds, 6 ounces, Kallon Knox Dickey came into the world, with the support and love from friends and family members that firefighter Jason Dickey left behind, according to Lawrenceburg Fire Department Chaplain Chad Moore.   

Dickey, 38, was killed on Feb. 12 as he battled a house fire and the house collapsed on him and his crew. Four other firefighters were injured.

On Monday the Lawrenceburg Fire Department released a touching photo of his newborn, dressed in a precious knit firefighter outfit. 

Kallon Knox is the third child born to the fallen firefighter, who also had two daughters, 16 and 2, and a 12-year-old son.

"He was excited about another boy coming along," Chaplain Moore told KTVU.

Moore described Dickey as an incredibly dedicated family man who loved his children deeply.

"Jason Dickey was the type of guy who never missed a single appointment for the baby," Moore said.  

He recalled how Dickey and his wife, Jennifer, went back and forth over what they should name the baby. She wanted Kallon and he wanted Knox. So in honor of her late husband, Jennifer settled on the name Kallon Knox.

The chaplain was with Moore's wife at the hospital before she gave birth and said she felt a certain peace within her. 

Moore said she told him, "'I just can't explain how I feel. There's just a calm that's come over me.'" 

And as they have since Dickey's passing, members of the fire department have been showing their unwavering support for the family. A steady stream of fire officials have been visiting the hospital to meet the new baby and deliver congratulations to mom. 

The department has also made sure the older children are cared for. Every single day, a member of the fire department goes out to take Dickey's 12 year-old son to school, according to Moore. 

"We're a pretty close knit community," he said. 

While the baby's birth has been a bitter sweet moment as the community remembers his father and fallen hero, Moore said the department feels deeply blessed by the arrival of the newest member of its extended family.