VIDEO: For firefighters, saving lives is part of the job, but one Tampa Bay area firefighter went above and beyond, giving a Tampa NICU nurse a second chance at life.
Lt. Derek Foss just returned back to work at Southern Manatee Fire Rescue after eight weeks out, recovering from surgery. He went under the knife, donating a kidney to Tampa mom and nurse Brianne Baker.
When Baker was 15 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease, but there was only a 3% chance she would ever need a transplant. In 2018, pregnancy complications took a big toll on her kidneys, bringing her into stage four renal failure. Two years later, she told 8 On Your Side a case of COVID-19 made things even worse. “My husband and my son and I all contracted COVID-19 and within four months, I was in and stage five renal failure,” said Baker.