Mom Leaves 15-Hours-Old Baby With Firefighter & Child Visits Him 8 Months Later

May 05, 2023

Babies are usually a cause for celebration, but it's no lie that raising a child is a lot of work. Unfortunately, in some circumstances, it can even be too much for a new parent, despite how much they love their child.

That's why California has a law allowing the safe surrender of babies that are less than 72 hours old, where a parent can anonymously drop their baby off at a hospital or fire station with no questions asked. This law undoubtedly helps to save lives and gives parents that might be struggling a safe option for a first responder to take their baby in and find a home in which the child can receive the love and care it needs to survive in the world.

In March 2015, a young woman took advantage of the California law to give her newborn a chance at another life, and it's a story that everyone should hear.

One evening, a young woman approached Station 75, a fire department located in Santa Ana, with a baby in her arms. After ringing the doorbell, Chief Daryll Milliot opened the door, not sure what to expect. It turned out the woman needed to safely surrender her baby, making use of the law.

The moment was a novel one for the firefighters, but within hours the three of them were enamored with the adorable little girl who was just 15 hours old. The girl was eventually put up for adoption and found a loving new home, with the firefighters even attending her adoption ceremony. Eight months after being dropped off at the station, the little girl named Naomi returned for a visit. Let's take a look. 

When the young mother, who was believed to be in her 20s, approached the Santa Ana fire station with her 15-hour-old newborn baby girl in March 2015, Chief Daryll Milliot opened the door. The young mother was direct and told the firefighter, as reported by NBC:

"I need to give you my baby."

Milliot, along with three other firefighters on duty that night, Michael DeLeon, Tyler Green, and Shawn Stacy, took the baby from the young woman. Firefighter DeLeon told NBC:

“We did our best to compose ourselves, maintain professionalism and do what we needed to do."

In spite of their professional demeanor, the firefighters soon fell in love with this tiny 15-hour-old newborn, dubbed Baby Naomi. She was the first baby surrendered to the fire station in Orange County that year as part of California's Safe Surrender Law, which allows a parent to leave a newborn at either a hospital or a fire station within 72 hours of birth. There are no questions asked, and it is completely anonymous.

The reason this law is in effect is to prevent tragic situations where a baby has been abandoned and left to die. In one case, a newborn who was just days old was left in a riverbed covered in rubble. When these tragedies strike, officials try to remind the public of the Safe Surrender option, which truly helps to save lives. Fortunately, Baby Naomi's story has a much happier ending since her birth mother opted to surrender her to the capable hands of these firefighters.  

After being given up at the station, Naomi found a new home with parents Kyrsten and Kurt Snyder, who had always planned to adopt. In fact, the couple has another baby only a few months older than Naomi named Judah. What is incredibly moving is that all of the firefighters who were there on the night that Naomi was given up at the station all attended her adoption ceremony. Then eight months after Naomi's arrival at Station 75, Krysten and Kurt brought Naomi back to the fire station to see the men who became her "unofficial" uncles that day. DeLeon told CBS:

“I tell everybody that asked me about it that it’s one of the highlights of my career by far. I mean, going to that ceremony and getting to see her again ‘cause you know when it happens, you don’t know what’s going to happen to the baby, really."

Meanwhile, Milliot described the incident as "so unique and rare," stating he never really thought it was something that would happen to him on the job. He also described the moment when Naomi's mother handed her over to him on that night, telling CBS:

“When she physically went to give Naomi to me there was a moment where she had a difficult time doing it."

It's an incredible story and, thankfully, one that has a happy ending. Naomi's parents also stated that they would not be hiding the story from her when she was older. Krysten told the news station:

“It really is a great opportunity for us to tell her about her mom and what a courageous thing she did."  

What do you think about Baby Naomi's story? Let us know, and pass this along to your family, friends and anyone else who would find this story interesting!