'It Was Just Fate': Surgeon Mom Saves Umpire's Life at Son's Little League Baseball Game

A Little League baseball game in Massachusetts became the scene of a miracle thanks to one quick-acting surgeon.

Dr. Jennifer LaFemina was at her son's semi-finals game in Oxford on Thursday, July 11, when home plate umpire Korey Pontbriand was struck in the throat by a baseball, Algonquin Baseball and Softball shared on Facebook.

While Pontbriand remained in the game "despite obvious pain," the sports organization said LaFemina noticed he showed "some concerning behavior and symptoms" on the field and began talking to him between innings.

When LaFemina finally convinced him to leave the field during the sixth inning, he collapsed.

"He was not breathing. Jennifer rendered emergency medical services until first responders arrived," the organization explained.

According to NBC Boston, LaFemina provided medical care alongside her medical assistant, Emily Lutfy, who attends every game played by her son's team, the Algonquin All-Stars 10U, with her.

The outlet reported that by the time Phil Davis, Oxford Little League's president, returned back with a defibrillator, the duo had already revived him.

After being rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, he underwent "emergency treatment and extensive testing," said Algonquin Baseball and Softball, who noted he is now "stable and breathing on his own."

It's no surprise that LaFemina was able to quickly jump into action, as she currently works as a surgical onc -

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ologist with UMass Memorial Health. According to its website, LaFemina attended medical school at the University of California, Los Angeles, and completed her residency at Mass General Hospital through Harvard Medical School.

While the frightening incident would cause her to miss watching her son score the game-winning run, she would ultimately get to see his team win their tournament the next day.

Davis, who told Good Morning America that Pontbriand has been a Little League umpire for over ten years, said, "It was just fate that she was there that night."

"We’re all trained in a basic CPR class, but there is no doubt in my mind that if she was not present at that game, along with her assistant, that we would be telling a whole different story about how somebody lost their life at a Little League game," he told the outlet.

NBC Boston reported that the Oxford Board of Selectmen honored LaFemina, Lutfy, and Davis during a town meeting on Tuesday, July 16.

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The town of Oxford also shared a clip from the ceremony on its Facebook page, praising the trio and writing, "If you ever wonder if a person together with others can make a difference, then just watch this clip about life-saving actions on the Oxford Little League Field last week!"

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