By Sallie James
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel
LAUDERHILL, Fla. — It was 10-month-old Kaniyah Allen’s smiling face and the way that she cuddled in their arms Monday that choked up the veteran Lauderhill firefighters who pulled the baby’s nearly lifeless body from a burning house last week.
That Kaniyah was alive, smiling and clinging to the brown teddy bear they brought her was the type of ending they had hoped for.
The tot was reunited Monday with her rescuers during a specially arranged meeting at Plantation General Hospital.
Emotions ran high as cameras snapped and video cameras rolled.
“It’s awesome,” said Firefighter/Paramedic Anthony Busk, 37, who crawled through black smoke on Aug. 31 inside a burning house until he felt the top of Kaniyah’s head on a bed.
Busk, a father of four, tenderly touched the baby’s curls, and stroked her cheek, marveling at her improved condition. His voice cracked with emotion when he recalled the harrowing rescue, her still body, the black soot marks on her face. “This is the reason why ... We’re in the business of saving lives. This is our job,” Busk said.
Driver/Engineer Santo Agosta, 49, who has been putting out fires for 25 years, was equally touched. At the scene, Agosta took the baby from Busk and started cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
“I was very worried. Words cannot explain how I felt to know that baby was all right,” said Agosta, who has a grown son.
The baby’s mother, Monisha Pierre, 22, went to Lauderhill’s Fire headquarters Monday morning to meet the crew that helped put out the fire at her home. Pierre presented firefighters with a cake bearing the message, “Thank you Lauderhill Fire Rescue and Lauderhill Police Department for saving my Precious Baby.”
Dr. Raul Ponte, who is treating Kaniyah, said her chances of a complete recovery are good because of her young age and the body’s ability to repair itself.
Copyright 2008 South Florida Sun-Sentinel