"Heroic" surgeon saves umpire's life at her son's Little League game
OXFORD - A cancer surgeon is being praised for her heroics outside the operating room. On July 11, Dr. Jennifer LaFemina saved a Little League umpire's life while at her son's baseball game in Massachusetts.
The oncologist at UMass Memorial Health received a life-saving merit award from the Oxford Board of Selectmen on Tuesday for her actions at the 10U Jimmy Fund tournament game in Oxford.
The home plate umpire was hit in the neck by a foul ball. At first he stayed in the game, but Little League organizers say LaFemina "observed some concerning behavior and symptoms" and convinced him to come out.
Umpire collapsed at Little League game in Massachusetts
Toward the end of the game, the umpire collapsed and stopped breathing. That's when LaFemina began administering emergency care and directed the Little League president to find a defibrillator.
It took six rounds of CPR to get the umpire's heart started again, the Oxford fire chief said. Luckily, LaFemina's medical assistant, Emily Lutfy, was also at the game to help.
"The success of these events require teamwork," LaFemina told selectmen while surrounded by Algonquin and Oxford Little Leaguers. "We're really lucky."
When paramedics arrived, the umpire was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He's recovering and breathing on his own now, Little League officials said.
The Jimmy Fund Little League program raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
"There is something remarkably fitting about a surgical oncologist saving an umpire's life at a Jimmy Fund tournament," Algonquin Little League said.
Doctor recalls umpire's act of kindness
Before he was hit by the foul ball, LaFemina recalled the umpire's small but meaningful act of kindness. She said her son was feeling bad about being moved from pitcher to shortstop after a tough first inning. But the umpire gave him a high-five and offered a pep talk to her son and his teammates.
"Our beloved umpire's actions reiterate that every day we get to make a choice. We have the choice to be kind and good and to try to make the world a better place," LaFemina said. "We just can't wait to see him back again on the field."
