EMT Who Saved Woman's Life Knocked It Out of the Park With Proposal

When EMT Cameron Hill responded to a domestic violence-related stabbing call in 2012 little did he know one of the lives about to change dramatically was his own.

Hill worked valiantly to save 20-year-old victim Melissa Dohme and found himself compelled to stay by her side during her recovery. The woman had been stabbed more than 17 times by her ex-boyfriend near Crest Lake Park after two previous domestic violence incidents.

The January 2012 stabbing resulted in Melissa being airlifted to Bayfront Medical Center where doctors say she technically died and had to be brought back four times, according to an earlier Patch story. Her recovery from the attack has been called remarkable.

“We keep calling her the miracle child,” Melissa’s sister Michelle told Patch in February 2012.

The ordeal sparked a fierce desire in Melissa to fight for tougher domestic violence laws. It also sparked a fierce connection between her and the EMT that helped save her life.

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That connection was made evident during Monday’s Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees’ game. Melissa was invited by the team to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in honor of her dedication to advocating on behalf of domestic violence victims. Cameron was also there, not only to support Melissa, but also to pop a serious question.

Just before Melissa was to throw out the first pitch, Cameron walked to the mound and handed Melissa a ball that had the words “Will You Marry Me?” written on it.

She said “yes” and still managed to throw out the pitch.

Cameron has “been by her side ever since the attack,” the Tampa Bay Rays explained on Facebook.

“Cameron is the perfect man for her,” a family friend wrote in response to the team’s post. “He was a first responder when she was attacked and helped save her life, he knows all the struggles she has had and has recovering and he showed her that she could trust men and even fall in love.”

As for Dohme’s ex-boyfriend, Robert L. Burton was sentenced to life in 2013 on an attempted first-degree murder charge, Florida Department of Corrections records indicate. He is serving his time at the Taylor Correctional Institution in Perry.

Photos from the Tampa Bay Rays Facebook page

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