Ahead of Fallen Heroes Day, Baltimore firefighters killed by Woodmere blaze inspire families to ‘keep going’

Monica Gant sometimes gets little reminders that her son is still with her.

For starters, she wears a necklace bearing a picture of her only son, Rodney Pitts III. Attached is another metal piece impressed with the Baltimore City firefighter’s fingerprint.

Then, there are day-to-day things, like the occasional smell of smoke in a small part of the house. Objects that fall. Recurring appearances of ladybugs, seen as a symbol of spiritual guidance. When Gant is feeling down, sometimes a song by The Temptations...