Firefighter Who Delivered Baby 22 Years Ago Travels 800 Miles to Watch Her Graduate

May 11, 2026

More than two decades after helping deliver a baby during an emergency call, a retired firefighter traveled 800 miles to watch that same little girl graduate from college — proving that some first responders don’t just save lives, they become part of them forever.

 Alan holding Chloe / Credit: Stacy Huddle

When Chloe Huddle walked across the stage at Grand Canyon University on Friday to receive her degree in educational studies, one of the loudest supporters in the crowd was Alan Kent, the retired Colorado Springs firefighter who helped bring her into the world 22 years earlier.

“It just means the world to me that I have so many people here to support and celebrate me in this big life moment,” Huddle said.

Their story began on Feb. 15, 2004, when Kent responded to a medical call in Colorado Springs.

“As we approached the scene, we got out, we heard Stacy upstairs screaming,” Kent recalled. “I was like, I think we’re going to have a baby.”

He was right.

Just minutes later, Chloe was born, and Kent became the first person to hold her.

“Alan was the first person to hold me and we’ve had a special bond ever since,” Huddle said.

While Kent helped deliver other babies throughout his decades-long career as a firefighter and paramedic, Chloe’s story became something special after her mother returned to the fire station with her newborn daughter to say thank you.

That visit sparked a friendship that would last a lifetime.

Soon, they made a pact. Chloe would celebrate birthdays at the fire station, and Kent promised he’d show up for the major milestones in her life.

And he meant it.

Alan and Chloe / Credit: Ralph Freso/Grand Canyon University News

“Since I’m retired, I’ve got a little bit of time,” Kent joked. “But even if I wasn’t retired, I wouldn’t miss this.”

Over the years, the relationship evolved far beyond firefighter and child. Huddle says Kent now feels like family.

“I love talking about it because it just shows there is so much hope in the world and goodness in the world, even in a heartbroken world,” she said.

For Kent, whose career exposed him to some of life’s most difficult moments, Chloe’s journey became a bright spot he carried with him through the years.

“In our line of work, we don’t usually have all the time good things happen,” Kent said. “To have something as great as this was, and then to continue throughout the years to watch her grow, that’s been that connection, that bond throughout the years.”

And the story is still being written.

Huddle is getting married this summer, and Kent already knows exactly where he’ll be: right there cheering her on once again.