GoFundMe accounts to help families of teens and girl killed in explosion near Troy
Two GoFundMe accounts have been established to help the families of the two teenagers and a 12-year-old girl killed in a home explosion near Troy on Easter night.
Madeleine I. Maxeiner, 18, of Troy; Ayden R. Hendrickson, 19, of Collinsville; and Paisley Nishwitz, 12, of Troy were killed by the blast, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
One person suffered significant burn injuries and was transported to a St. Louis-area hospital.
The GoFundMe account for Hendrickson’s family is titled, “Support for Heather’s Son’s Services.” His mother, Heather Hendrickson, says on the fundraiser site that she needs assistance with her son’s funeral services.
Hendrickson is described as an “amazing young man” in the GoFundMe post.
The other GoFundMe account is titled “Support for Ken Cissell’s Family After Tragedy.”
Cissell is listed as a foster parent of Paisley and the stepfather of Maxeiner. A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said Paisley was actually in a short-term guardianship.
“He and his wife Roberta have always been there for their family and community, but now they are facing an unimaginable tragedy,” the GoFundMe post states.
Funds are needed because Cissell’s home was destroyed in the blast and they need financial help with multiple issues, including funeral costs and medical care.
Cissell is listed as the associate director of food and nutrition services at Christian Hospital in north St. Louis County where he is known for “his dedication to his work and his kindness toward everyone he meets.”
The DCFS spokesperson confirmed the agency is involved in the ongoing fire investigation.
“Illinois DCFS extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends who are grieving the loss of their loved ones as a result of this horrific incident,” the spokesperson stated in response to BND questions.
“DCFS is investigating this incident along with law enforcement. We do not have additional information we can share at this time.”
The sheriff’s office said there were multiple explosions inside the house, the first one being “due to the mishandling of commercial-grade energetic material.”
“Energetic material” includes “explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics,” according to a report from the Journal of Energetic Materials.
State or federal charges are pending further investigation, the sheriff’s office said.
The explosion occurred late Sunday in the 8000 block of West Kirsch Road, just west of O’Fallon-Troy Road.
When first responders arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames, according to the Troy Fire Department.