Foster Baby Adopted 7 Years After Apartment Fire Left Him With Devastating Burns
Deyvion was just a baby sleeping in his bassinet when a fire tore through the Missouri apartment where he lay. Firefighters rushed into the burning building and pulled him from the flames, but his tiny face was left covered in horrific burns. His survival alone was nothing short of a miracle.
With no family to comfort him, the infant began a long and painful journey to recovery in a specialized burn unit. There, against unimaginable odds, he fought his way back to health — a battle waged without parents by his side.
It wasn’t until he was five years old that Deyvion finally found someone to fight for him. Beth Plunkett, a single mother of two, opened her home and her heart to the little boy.
“I thought he was a beautiful little boy, and I fell in love with him very quickly,” Beth told WGN9 News. She never saw him as fortunate for finding her — she believed the blessing went both ways. “I feel everybody says, ‘Oh, he’s so lucky to have you,’ but I’m just as equally lucky to have him.”
After 2,545 days without a family to call his own, Beth officially adopted Deyvion. For her, the commitment goes far beyond providing a home — it’s about ensuring he grows up feeling cherished and empowered.
“I want him to be, most importantly, just happy,” she said. “And I want him to always feel loved and to have goals and reach them and just do amazing, amazing things. And I know he will… God definitely has an awesome plan for him.”
Deyvion’s circle of support extends beyond his new family. The firefighters who saved him all those years ago never forgot that night — and they made sure to be part of his adoption day celebration.
Deputy Chief Eric Smith of the South Metro Fire Department in Raymore and his crew honored him with a custom jacket and hat. They also gave him and Beth a ride in their fire truck to the courthouse, where his adoption became official.
Smith gave the boy a high five and beamed with pride. “He’s exceptional,” he said. “We don’t always understand why things happen, but we do now.”
Today, Deyvion is surrounded by love — from his proud mother and siblings, and from the firefighters who first gave him a second chance at life. His story is one of courage, grace, and the power of unwavering compassion.
A brave little boy who endured so much now gets the childhood he deserves — full of warmth, support, and limitless possibility.
