North Carolina Paramedics Help Reunite Family

Dec. 22--All one little girl wanted for Christmas is world peace and a plane ticket home. Her parents just wanted her home.

Who says wishes don't come true? Kiley Pitken's plane will arrive Saturday.

Prayers were answered thanks to the generous hearts of Lenoir County paramedics and other anonymous people who seem to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Tammy and Eric Pitken haven't seen their 8-year-old daughter for more than a month after leaving her with her grandparents in Salt Lake City, Utah, until they could get settled in Kinston.

"We came by a leap of faith," Tammy said. "We had nowhere to stay and didn't think it was fair to drag her across the country."

The family was living in a bad part of California where gangs and drugs were prominent.

"It was not the environment we wanted our daughter in," Tammy said.

Eric said they gave away their furniture and food to less fortunate people around them.

"We took every last penny we had," he said. "Kinston was the most peaceful place I could think of."

Eric lived in Kinston when his parents were foster parents at Kennedy Memorial Baptist Home.

"Not much has changed," he said.

Eric hasn't been able to work for the past 18 months due to numerous medical problems and did not qualify for disability.

"My wife has taken on the responsibility and burden to keep us going," he said.

The plan was to sell their vehicle to bring their little girl home, but that all changed when the couple was involved in a hit-and-run accident.

"We had to sell the car for scrap," Eric said.

Tammy said Kiley asks her constantly when her parents will have the money to bring her home.

"To tell my baby 'no, I can't bring you home' breaks my heart," she said.

Shortly there after, a team a medical emergency "angels" came to their rescue.

Donna Jones, a Lenoir County paramedic, was called to take Eric to the hospital. On the way, he told his story.

"Every Christmas one patient touches me," she said. "The Lord sent me to him and said I would do anything I could to get his daughter home."

Jones talked it over with some of her co-workers and they all agreed to help reunite the Pitken family for Christmas.

For some extra help, Jones wrote a letter to Santa, which was published in The Free Press, and attracted more kind hearts of people who wanted to help.

The Church of God Prophecy agreed to take care of the donations.

"It's just been amazing," Tammy said. "We don't feel like a charity case, we feel like we've made friends and my daughter has adopted a new family."

Eric said humanity, love and compassion are still alive in a world of ugliness.

"I've just never seen such a concentration in one place," he said.

All the Lenoir County paramedics wanted to see Kiley come home and spend Christmas with her parents.

"This has just been amazing," Tammy Pitken said. "Everyone's thoughts and prayers mean the world to us and more to our little girl."

Katie Marshall can be reached at (252) 527-3191, Ext. 251,.

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