Girl rescued from vicious dog attack spends Christmas with firefighters
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis firefighters at Station 53 had a special guest for Christmas dinner: a 6-year-old girl they rescued from a vicious dog attack.
Family tells us 6-year-old Nadiah Vargo wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the quick thinking of these first responders and their willingness to put their own safety on the line.
“There are no words to express our gratitude. If it wasn’t for them, it would be a different Christmas,” said Michael Vargo, Nadiah’s father.
The family spent the afternoon having dinner and opening gifts with the firefighters who rescued Nadiah back in November.
It’s a call they say they will never forget.
“They came back and said the patient was a 6-year-old girl and the attack was still in progress, so I looked at my guys and I said, ‘We are going in,’” said Capt. Ongay with the Indianapolis Fire Department.
“I saw the two dogs standing over Nadiah. At that point, I began to yell and move toward her and I was able to get the dogs backed away enough and stepped between her and the dogs and told Captain to grab her and go,” said Private Michael Ritter with IFD.
“She was awake, but she was not doing too well as you can imagine… When we got her in the ambulance we saw the extent of her injuries and we were all taken back by the extent of these injures,” said Captain Ongay.
Nadiah was rushed to the hospital in extremely critical condition with injuries to 90 percent of her body. Family says she received excellent care from the doctors and nurses at Riley Hospital for Children and while Nadiah was there, this crew made sure to visit her. Now that’s she’s back at home, they’ve made sure to make this Christmas one to remember.
“It means the world to us. It means everything to us,” said Vargo.
Vargo tells us his daughter has a long road ahead of her, but he is just grateful she is still here.
According to IFD, the Rottweiler dogs who attacked Nadiah back in November belonged to her mother’s boyfriend. Those dogs have since been euthanized.