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Station Fire Widow Delivers First Child One Month After Firefighter Husband Died in Line of Duty
Sophia Grace Quinones (Photo courtesy LA County Fire)
Sophia Grace Quinones (Photo courtesy LA County Fire)
It's a girl for Lori Quinones, the widow of Los Angeles County Fire Fighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones, one of the two firefighters who died on August 30 while fighting the Station Fire. Sophia Grace Quinones was born at 11:21 a.m. on Tuesday, September 22, in the Women and Children’s Center at Antelope Valley Hospital (AVH). Sophia arrived at 8lbs 2oz, and according to Mrs. Quinones "has her mother’s eyes and her father’s hair, nose, lips and fingers." The arrival of Sophia was a sweet surprise for Quinones; she and her husband had opted not to find out the sex of their first child. Her birth on the 22nd is also of great significance: "The Quinoneses met when they were both middle school students at Bethel Christian School, where Lori’s father, Rex Furman, was the pastor. They were both very athletic and wore the number 22 on their sports jerseys. They went out on their first date on January 22, 1992, and Arnie proposed marriage to Lori on February 22, 2002, and they married on July 22, 2002," explains an LA County Fire release.
The community's outpouring of support for Quinones and her newborn have included much support from hospital staff, family, friends, the LA Country Fire Department, and thoughtful strangers--many of whom donated items from a gift registry set up for the new mother and baby. Says Lori Quinones: “I would like to thank the community for their love and support. I would especially like to thank the Los Angeles County Fire Department for their continued commitment to honoring Arnie. I am grateful for the continued thoughts and prayers for our family."
A public memorial for Quinones and Fire Captain Tedmund Hall was held on September 12th at Dodger Stadium.
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