A Little League mother is being credited with saving the life of the umpire of her son's playoff game in Massachusetts last week, her "quick thinking and professional care" preventing the game from turning into a tragedy.
In fact, while Dr. Jennifer LaFemina was giving the umpire CPR off the field, she missed her son helping the team mount an "epic" comeback on the field by scoring the game-winning run in Oxford on Thursday, according to Algonquin Baseball and Softball, her son's baseball club.
LaFemina, her medical assistant and the president of Oxford Little League were honored with a lifesaving merit award for their "acts of compassion and grace under pressure," as Oxford Board of Selectman Chairman Mike Lee put it during the board's meeting on Tuesday.
"Your quick thinking and professional care ... resulted in the saving of life, and reflect great credit upon yourself, the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and the Town of Oxford," said Fire Chief Laurent McDonald at Tuesday's meeting.
LaFemina, a surgical oncologist at UMass Health, was watching her son play for the Algonquin All-stars in the semifinal of a district-level Jimmy Fund fundraising tournament when the home plate umpire's injury, and his worrying symptoms, sent her into action.
The umpire, Korey Pontbriand, was struck in the throat with a ball during the second inning, according to a social media post from Algonquin Baseball and Softball. Beloved by local little leaguers, Pontbriand attempted to stay in the game despite obvious pain and concerning symptoms.
Between innings, officials said, LaFemina approached the umpire and urged him to step off the field to be treated. It was just in time — Pontbriand collapsed off the field, unresponsive and not breathing, as LaFemina went to work providing emergency medical services until first responders arrived on the scene.
LaFemina wasn't alone — she had Emily Lutfy by her side to help as she does at the hospital.
Lutfy is LaFemina's medical assistant, assisting her in surgery every Friday and attending every game played by the Algonquin All-stars 10U team. As LaFemina put it at Tuesday night's ceremony, their established nonverbal communication and her presence there that night made "all the difference."
Phil Davis, Oxford Little League's president, ran to get a defibrillator, but, "by the time we got back, Jennifer and Emily had revived him," he said Tuesday.
Pontbriand was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. But following extensive testing and emergency treatment, his condition became stable and he "wanted people to know" he's now able to breathe on his own, Algonquin Baseball and Softball, which is based in Northborough and Southborough, shared in Facebook post. They said LaFemina's heroism and lifesaving instincts earned her the nickname of “Korey’s guardian angel,” and that the all of the organization's "friends and family are deeply grateful for Jennifer’s off the field heroics."
Davis said, "In a world of such negativity and things just not going the right way, these are your two heroes right here."
For her part, LaFemina has shared her own thanks to Pontbriand for something he did before getting injured. Responding to the initial posts calling her a hero, the surgeon noted that the umpire had cheered up her son after a rough first inning pitching.
And on Tuesday night, she spoke more about what Pontbriand does for the players he oversees, giving out high fives and fist bumps to boost everyone's morale.
"Our beloved umpire reiterates that everyday we get to make a choice. Be kind and good and try to make the world a better place. We were playing for him that night," she said.
The tournament the Algonquin All-stars were competing in raises money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. LaFemina was told her efforts were "remarkably fitting" for a tournament whose mission is to "take a swing at cancer."
Although LaFemina missed her son's team's comeback, she made it to their victory at the district tournament finals the next day. The Algonquin All-Stars won 8-1 and became Oxford Little League's district champions.
When she received the award, LaFemina invited the Algonquin All-Stars up to the podium to be part of the celebration: "These are some brave boys -- and, let me tell you, some good ball players."
Oxford Little League has said that Pontbriand is recovering and talking, and everyone involved has wished him the best.
