ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Man Reunited With The Woman Who Found Him Buried Alive As A Baby

Man Reunited With The Woman Who Found Him Buried Alive As A Baby

Twenty-year-old Matthew Christian Whitaker met the woman who saved his life as an three hour old baby when her dogs found him buried alive

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

A man who was buried alive just hours after his birth in 1998 has been reunited with the Good Samaritan who saved his life, after finding the abandoned baby when she was out on a run with her dogs.

(It's already a beautiful story, but it's always nice when dogs are involved, isn't it?)

Matthew Christian Whitaker met 58-year-old Azita Milanian, who saved his life when she found him just three hours after he was born, buried under the ground and wrapped in a towel.

They were reunited in an appearance on radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest on Wednesday - 20 years to the date of their first meeting and of course Matthew's birthday.

Azita was sobbing as she was led into the room to meet the grown-up baby she found buried in the dirt during an evening hike in Los Angeles' San Gabriel Mountains on 16 May 1998, as reported by MailOnline.

The two embraced for a minute, before Milanian was handed a paper towel to dry her tears.

KTLA5/On Air with Ryan Seacrest

When Azita met Matthew she told him: "I was waiting for you 20 years. You're exactly what I've imagined. I guessed your size, everything. Thank you for coming into my life, you changed my life.

"I knew we were going to connect again. The day I met him he confirmed my faith... God brought us together for a purpose."

Azita said it was pure luck that she found the boy that day as a lot of things came up and she went on her daily hike a lot later than usual. She also decided to run a different hiking path for the first time in eight years.

So it was complete fate.

At the end of the run Azita and her three dogs were heading back to the car when the animals ran off and started sniffing around.

She recalled: "I went there and heard a noise and... Tango [the dog] was standing exactly over his head and I was saying, 'Come on, let's go! What are you looking at?'

"They wouldn't move and I'm screaming at them and it was a bunch of bushes and suddenly Christian's feet came out of the ground in front of my feet."

KTLA5/On Air with Ryan Seacrest

She started digging and found the baby boy, with his umbilical cord still attached, wrapped in a blanket and buried in the dirt.

She continued: "I didn't even know if it was boy or a girl and he was crying and I brought him out and I dug my nails in his nose and mouth and started taking the dirt out and all I said to you was, 'Please don't die. I will never leave you. I love you'.

"He grabbed my wrist like this and he wouldn't let go... He was so strong. He was so strong-willed. We are both Tauruses - stubborn. Nobody can get rid of us."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Matthew's body temperature had fallen to 80 degrees, and when he arrived at Huntington Memorial Hospital, he was immediately treated for severe hypothermia. Doctors think the baby's size helped him to survive.

Azita Milanian after finding Matthew in 1998.
Shutterstock

Matthew made a remarkable recovery, and at the time, the neonatal medical director called it 'really almost a miracle'. Hospital nurses named him 'Baby Christian' and people from around the state - and as far as Florida - sent in toys, gifts, clothes and monetary donations.

Azita didn't adopt him herself, however she tried to maintain contact - but this stopped after Matthew was adopted.

After finding Whitaker, she was inspired to start Children of One Planet, a nonprofit organisation that helps orphaned children around the world.

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / KTLA5 / On Air with Ryan Seacrest

Topics: Feels, Community