'They would fight for her:' Columbia responders named Godparents after saving baby’s life
On Oct. 5, 2021, Za’Myla Camilla Miracle Garrett was born at home unexpectedly at just 25 weeks.
It was a dangerous situation for both the baby and her mother, Kitana Garrett, 23.
When responders arrived on the scene, baby Za’Myla was barely breathing.
They immediately got to work providing critical care saving Za’Myla’s life.
After a four-month stay at Vanderbilt Medical University Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Za’Myla is now thriving and in a new home with her mother.
The healthy baby girl recently visited Columbia Fire & Rescue’s Fire Station No. 3 to meet the men and women who fought for her life the day she entered this world.
“We felt at home,” mother Kitana Garrett said. “They always have their arms open.”
During the visit, firefighter and paramedic Cody Hill and Maury Regional EMS Paramedic Jamie Roan were honored to be named godfather and godmother of baby Za’Myla.
Garrett said she decided to ask the two responders to be her baby's godmother and godfather after they continued to check in on her weeks after the emergency.
“I knew they would fight for her when I could not fight for her,” Garrett said. “She is still here thanks to their help.”
Roan held the newborn in her arms as the family visited the fire station.
“We are honored,” Roan said. “She is the tiniest human I have ever held. We wanted to make sure she was taken care of.”
Roan said she deeply related to Garrett as she also had a child at a young age.
With that connection and mutual understanding, she continued to check in with the two, offering additional support, including raising money to help Garrett pay for gas, while she spent months making a daily 50-mile journey from Columbia to Nashville to visit her newborn as she remained under intensive care.
“We want her to know if she needs anything, we are there for her,” Road said. “We just wanted to follow this child through. We wanted to make sure her mother was able focus to be there and help her daughter."
The dedicated paramedic said she is proud to welcome young Za’Myla into the community’s large family of emergency responders.
"It was life-changing expedience,” Roane said. "Knowing that we were able to help her, it makes you want to come back the next day.”
Hill, who is assigned to Columbia’s Fire Station No. 3 said he was ecstatic to see the baby healthy and happy.
“It is something I never experienced before,” Hill said. “We do stuff like this every single day. We don’t really hear back from most of our patients”
He remembers being inside the home, instructing his fellow responders to turn the heat up as high as possible as he and Roane worked to stabilize the newborn.
“This was once in a lifetime birth,” Hill said. “Everything fell right into place perfectly that morning.”
Firefighters Brian Peters, Kris Webber, Drew Kyser, and Mason Potts, Maury Regional EMS Paramedic Chris Bee, and Columbia Police Officer Brad Ricketts all played important roles in saving the young Columbia resident’s life.
“They all are a blessing,” Garrett said. “I have felt that way since I first met them. I am thankful for each and every one of them.”
Reach Mike Christen at mchristen@c-dh.net. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeChristenCDH and Instagram at @michaelmarco. Please consider supporting his work and that of other Daily Herald journalists by subscribing to the publication.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Columbia responders named Godparents after saving’s baby’s life
