hicago Fire fans have adored watching Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) become foster parents with the arrival of Isaiah (Hero Hunter) to their home, and Mama Bear Stella just proved how far she’s willing to go for her family.
After their adoption agency reached out about a teenager named Isaiah in need of foster parents, the 51 firefighters wasted no time opening their home to the young boy. Isaiah’s mother, Shawna, was in a car accident that left her comatose, so Isaiah was slow to warm up to Stellaride after moving in. While Severide made progress thanks to shared interests, Stella made headway after agreeing to bring Isaiah to his mom’s care facility for a visit, only to discover Shawna’s health had taken a drastic turn.
Stella’s heart broke for Isaiah as he broke down over his mother’s bedside, and his anxiety hasn’t subsided since returning home.
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In Season 14’s “Broken Things,” Isaiah cut class to visit Firehouse 51 with pressing research he found about his mom that indicated she wasn’t receiving proper care. This discovery, combined with Stella’s steadfast compassion for her foster son, has the Firehouse 51 Lieutenant taking a brief leave of absence. Here’s what happened:
Stella Kidd asked Chicago Med‘s Sharon Goodwin for help with Isaiah
Emboldened by Isaiah’s willingness to cut class to help his mom, Stella assured Isaiah that she and Severide would follow up to ensure Shawna was receiving proper care at St. John’s Hospital. After further investigation into St. John’s, Stella realized the boy’s concerns were valid. The doctors alleged that Isaiah’s mom was recovering well, but with continued neglect, Shawna could potentially die, and no one wanted to risk the gamble.
After a 51 call brought her to Chicago Med, Stella spotted Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson), inspiring her to ask the Gaffney director for some advice after giving her the lowdown on Shawna’s medical situation. After Goodwin confirmed that St. John’s was understaffed, underfunded, and always struggling with patient overflow, Stella admitted she was having a hard time finding an alternative long-term care facility that offered rehabilitation.
Goodwin revealed that she had a great connection to a state-of-the-art care facility that was not only better equipped to accommodate Isaiah’s mother, but also boasted grant-subsidized funding to support long-term care. The only problem? There wasn’t a facility located in Chicago — it was in Cleveland.
Why Stella Kidd is leaving Firehouse 51
After touching base with Chicago Med fan favorite Goodwin about an alternative care facility for Isaiah’s mom, Stella told Severide she wanted to take a few weeks off from Firehouse 51 to travel to Cleveland. Stella assured her husband (and viewers) that she would be back before anyone felt her absence.
Isaiah came home just as Stella broke this news to Severide. They told the boy that he’d been correct in doubting Shawna’s treatment at St. Johns. After revealing they’d found the perfect facility in Cleveland, Isaiah was happy to hear she was heading somewhere she could get the most help, but was saddened about the prospect of not seeing her.
Stella assured Isaiah that it wouldn’t be the case: She and Isaiah were going to take a couple of weeks to go to Cleveland and get Shawna settled before meeting her new doctors and running more assessments. Soon, they’d know exactly what was wrong with Isaiah’s mother and lock down a treatment plan.
“And you mean like drop everything here?” Isaiah asked in disbelief. Severide explained they’d contact his school to get his assignments, but Isaiah was moreso baffled that Stella, a dedicated Lieutenant, was taking “all that time off work” to help his mom.
“Of course,” Stella said, matter-of-factly. “You’re family now, so that means your mom is, too.”
Isaiah became teary-eyed as he grew overwhelmed with emotion. Stella hugged him tight as he softly wept in relief, a massive stepping stone for their budding relationship. Watch Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
