FIREFIGHTERS REUNITED WITH CHILD BOY LEFT AT STATION RETURNS FOR VISIT.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

CANYON COUNTRY - A bouncing toddler visited a fire station Tuesday in rustic Sand Canyon with his mom, a heartwarming return to the place his birth mother left him as an infant 15 months ago.

The little boy's adoptive mother brought him to where he was surrendered in September 2004 by a woman who told firefighters she had just given birth but couldn't keep the baby. The reunion was private to protect the baby's - and his birth mom's - identities, said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Jason Hurd.

It was one of the successes of the state's Safe Surrendered Baby Act that allows birth parents to drop newborns they can't care for at hospital emergency rooms, fire stations and other county facilities.

``The baby's doing well,'' Hurd said. ``He's 15 months old, but acts like he's 2. He's a healthy little bundle of joy.''

The baby was left early the morning of Sept. 26, 2004, and firefighters and paramedics at the time spoke of their gratitude to a troubled birth mother who did the right thing. The new law came in response to the prevalence of new parents who abandon infants to die.

On his return visit, ``everyone held him,'' Hurd said. ``He was all over the fire engine, turning knobs, pulling levers. He was really upbeat. He had bright blue eyes.''

The visit was a bright spot for firefighters, who too often help victims in emergencies and never know how they fare.

``It's really good because we go on so many runs,'' Hurd said. ``We see people critically injured, but we never find out how people did. It's nice to have them come back and let us know exactly what happened. Such a good thing came out of what happened that day.''

Patricia Farrell Aidem, [phone]

pat.aidem(at)dailynews.com