Tom Fergison is a Chiefs fan. He loves his dogs, professional wrestling, and the rodeo. But most of all, he loves to help people.

Mr. Fergison, 27, who has special needs, was helping deliver Meals on Wheels Monday at the Fountains at Corby Place when one of the residents fell as she answered her door. He immediately ran to a balcony and using sign language, alerted staff to call 911.

“I helped a girl,” said a proud Mr. Fergison, who recently decided he prefers Tom over Tommy.

“Heroes come from all walks of life,” said his mother, Ladonna Fergison. “People with special needs have a place in this world.”

Mr. Fergison waited for the ambulance to arrive before going on with his day. The fallen resident is said to being doing just fine.

Mrs. Fergison described her son as a happy fellow Thursday as she waited for the bus to drop him off at their rural home south of St. Joseph. As the OATS van pulled up the drive, Mr. Fergison proved her right, smiling and waiving out the window. He hurried inside to show his family a Christmas stocking embroidered with a Pittsburgh Steelers insignia that he’s giving to his older brother, Jason, who is a Steelers fan.

“Chiefs!” Mr. Fergison exclaimed, pointing to the sky.

Dallas Hollis is 18 months older than her brother. They went to school at Mid-Buchanan where Ms. Hollis said students accepted Mr. Fergison, but she had to step up to bullies on a couple occasions and play the tough older sister role. But on most days, he’d get high-fives from students as he walked down the hallway.

“He can do a lot more than what we think he can,” she said, watching as he pedaled his bicycle through the yard, urging his young nieces to join him.

A client at United Cerebral Palsy, Mr. Fergison does volunteer work. He also helps his father and brother work cattle, volunteers at his church and does it all with a smile.

“We are better people because of Tommy,” said his mother. “People with special needs give 10 times more than others.”

Jimmy Myers can be reached at jimmym@npgco.com

Correction: An article on Friday’s front page contained an error due to a reporter’s mistake. Tom Fergison was delivering Meals on Wheels at Corby Grove Apartments on the ground floor.