Teacher, community step up for McHenry teen who’s helping raise siblings after mom’s death

A teacher who made a difference for him in middle school is continuing to make a difference for Daniel Avila after his high school graduation.

At McHenry Middle School, teacher Kate Knaack saw Avila was wearing the same clothes over and over again. So, she purchased him new clothes, surprising him with it one day in eighth grade.

“The reason I want to be a teacher is because of her. I want to be like Mrs. Knaack. She saw things in people’s lives and is able to make a difference,” Avila said this week.

And she has continued to step up for the now 18-year-old. After his graduation from McHenry High School, she created a GoFundMe for Avila. His community also stepped up, raising $10,000 in just three weeks to buy him a reliable used car.

He picked up that car, a 2013 Ford Escape hatchback, Wednesday from the Buss Ford dealership in McHenry. Having a car will allow Avila to work this summer, go to school in the fall and help care for his twin 8-year-old brothers in between.

Avila has taken on many of the responsibilities for their care since the death of his mother, Katherine “Katie” Ortega, in February 2024 following a long hospitalization.

“She died right before my 17th birthday and right after their seventh,” Avila said.

His father, Inocencio Ortega, and his older sister also care for the younger siblings, but his sister recently moved out, and his dad works 12-hour days to provide for the family.

With a car, Avila can work a job that will give him the flexibility to start classes at McHenry County College in the fall, and get his brothers to and from school without having to worry about bus schedules, Avila said.

“It is going to help me so much,” Avila said, adding that his plans are to study education at MCC and eventually become a middle school history teacher.

Avila was Knaack’s student for both music and social studies.

“He was one of those old souls,” Knaack said.

She also got a little of his story back then: a mom with chronic health issues and a father who worked long days.

“He was always on my radar,” she said.

Near the end of his senior year, Avila ended up back in Knaack’s classroom as part of his Teaching as a Profession class.

“I was able to observe her that day and started talking about the things that had happened, between her life and mine,” Avila said. “She gave me her email [to stay in touch].”

With an extra ticket for his May 17 graduation, Avila asked Knaack if she’d attend.

“I wanted my dad, my aunt and my sister, but I had four tickets. I invited Mrs. Knaack because I wanted her for that special moment,” Avila said.

At the ceremony and after, Knaack and Avila’s family were chatting about what was going on, including his hopes to save for a car. But there were other stressors – including trying to find a less-expensive place to rent that still would allow the twins to attend school in McHenry. The family recently moved to a Lakemoor apartment to save on rent.

Days after graduation, his aunt told Avila to check Facebook. The GoFundMe, “A Car for Daniel” was up. But even before they hit the $10,000 goal, the Buss family also was involved.

“My wife had found this online. She had seen the GoFundMe,” Drew Buss said. “Not long after, [Knaack] reached out to me.”

“[She was] amazing about the whole thing and went way above and beyond,” Buss said.

His staff found a couple of options that would fit and had Avila come in to test drive.

After that test drive – and after the staff at Buss Ford got their out-the-door price down to what was available from the GoFundMe account – Daniel asked whether he could give the salesman a hug, Knaack said.

“He is a giver-backer. He would never ask for help,” Knaack said. “He said he wants to ‘help kids they way you helped me.’”