Three years after a life-or-death call, a group of Florida firefighters is still turning up for the little girl they helped save.

When Seminole County firefighters arrived, they found Lila Pagan badly injured after she was accidentally run over by a truck.

For Lt. Marcus Gombs, the call was especially difficult.

“We got the call that there was a little girl that was potentially under a car,” Gombs recalled. “When we got there, it was just a chaotic scene with just seeing a mom that’s holding her little girl.”

Lila was intubated and placed in a coma as her mother, Pamela Pagan, tried to stay by her daughter’s side.

“I did not think that she would make it to the hospital,” Pamela said.

Before Lila was transported, Gombs stopped to pray with Pamela.

“Lieutenant Marcus Gombs stopped and prayed with me,” she recalled. “He prayed for me and with me and for Lila.”

When Pamela arrived at the hospital, doctors told her Lila was stable.

The relationship did not end there. The firefighters kept in touch with the Pagan family and started showing up for birthdays, Christmas celebrations and other important moments in Lila’s life.

They also gave her a nickname.

“That’s baby girl,” Cross Ferrentino of Seminole County Fire said. “Anytime they come, that’s baby.”

What began as one of the most frightening calls of their careers became a relationship that has lasted for years.

“Now she’s over here running around, smiling and having a good time today,” Gombs said.

The connection has also gone the other way. When Ferrentino passed his paramedic test, Pamela was one of the first people to contact him.

“Pam was the first one to reach out, say, ‘Hey, I’m so proud of you,'” Ferrentino said. “That impacted me. Hey, I’m going to do the best I can do no matter what.”

Ferrentino said he plans to stay part of Lila’s life for years.

“I will be there at the wedding when she gets married in about 30 years,” he joked, “and I got to make sure I approve of the guy too.”

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