By EMS1 Staff
AMHERST, Mass. — A 9-year-old girl met the firefighter-paramedic who delivered her during a surprise appearance at her fire safety education graduation ceremony Oct. 25.
Vaishali Konowitz was presented her Student Awareness of Fire Education program certificate, along with 200 other students who completed the program.
Her family arranged for firefighter-paramedic Christopher Bak to present Vaishali with her certificate, reported the Amherst Bulletin. Bak helped deliver her on Feb. 22, 2007. The surprise reunion marked the fourth grader’s birthday, but also the anniversary of Bak’s father’s death.
“It’s said that when one person dies, another is born,” Bak said. “Well, she was born on the anniversary of my father’s death.”
Bak, a 40-year veteran, said Vaishali’s birth is the only delivery he’s been in charge of.
“We don’t deal with too many happy and well patients,” Bak said. “It’s usually someone in some type of distress ... but this is one of those times where you’re happy to be there.”
SAFE officials said Vaishali’s birth story was a great example of the importance of knowing when and how to call 911.
“It allows her [Vaishali] to recognize some of the important people in the rescue community, and that she has a relationship with some already, and they’re not just some uniformed people on the streets,” Chip Konowitz, Vaishali’s father, said.