Pamela Pagan fought to climb into the ambulance. Lieutenant Marcus Gomes had to gently move her aside so his team could work.
Lila, her 3-year-old daughter, had just been accidentally hit by a pickup truck in Seminole County, Florida. She was gravely injured. The firefighters from nearby Station 22 were among the first to arrive. The girl was intubated and placed in a coma. Her 8-year-old brother, Francisco, saw it all.
Before the ambulance pulled away, the lieutenant did something Pamela would never forget: he prayed with her. Then firefighter-paramedic Cross Ferrentino and the rest of the crew took Lila to the hospital. Pamela admitted that she didn’t think her daughter would survive.
She made it. And a month later, she came back home.
The firefighters didn’t just become a memory. They went to her birthdays, her Christmases, every important occasion. To them, she’s still “baby girl.” Today Lila is 6 years old, running, playing, and full of personality.
In September 2026, FOX 35 Care Force honored Station 22. But the family had already paid tribute to them in their own way: giving them a place at the table.