Chance encounter with local firefighter at SeaWorld saves newborn’s life from rare genetic disorder
By Luana Munoz
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POLK COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A local firefighter’s quick action at SeaWorld over the Fourth of July weekend saved the life of a newborn baby from Polk County.
Sarah Love, her husband and their six children, including their newborn son Lincoln, were enjoying a day at SeaWorld when they encountered the firefighter.
“He came over. He explained who he was. He said he didn’t want to scare us, but it looked like our baby needed medical attention,” Love said. “He said he was really jaundiced. He didn’t think it was anything scary or to be worried about, but he was just concerned.”
Love took Lincoln to a hospital in Polk County, where they live. After a series of tests and blood work, nurses and doctors flooded their room.
“They said, ‘We believe your baby has something called biliary atresia, and he needs surgery,'” Love said.
Baby Lincoln underwent two surgeries and an array of tests and didn’t leave the hospital for more than a month.
He was later diagnosed with Alagille syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that can cause liver damage and much more.
“It can affect the kidneys. It can affect the heart. It can affect the skeletal system, the eyes, hearing,” Love said. “A lot of things we were noticing could have gone untreated.”
Today, baby Lincoln is back home and doing much better, something Love attributes to God and the stranger who helped save his life.
“I absolutely think it was our heavenly father putting the right people in the right place at the right time. I think it was a lot of courage on his part. I’m sure there was some hesitation or unsure feelings on his part that he should speak up,” Love said.
Love hopes to reconnect with this firefighter someday and tell him how grateful she is. You can reach out to our WESH news desk at News@wesh.com.
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