When Lamar Austin’s wife Lindsay went into labor on New Year’s Eve, Austin did what any loving husband and father would do: he stayed by his wife’s side to welcome their newborn son into the world. Born on Jan.1, 2017, the little bundle of joy was welcomed into the family as the youngest of four.
However, what should’ve been a happy moment for the 30-year-old turned sour when Austin received a text message while his wife was in labor notifying him he’d been fired from his job as a security guard. “I looked at it and I was like, ‘Wow. OK, cool,’ and that was about it for me,” Austin said. Eventually the couple’s son Caiman was welcomed into the world at 7:44AM.
Austin, a military veteran was on a 90-day trial period and never missed prior shifts. However, the life-changing experience wasn’t a factor for his employees at Salerno Protective Services.
“When they actually did it, I was stunned,” he told PEOPLE. “But then I thought, ‘Okay, I’m not going to pass judgment on this man.’ I couldn’t be two places at once. I had to be at the place where I thought I was most needed — with my wife, Lindsay.”
Word has gotten out about Austin’s predicament and since the birth of the couple’s son, he’s received an outpouring of support. A Go Fund Me account was created for him and his family and at the time of this post, received $9,545 of the proposed $10,000 goal. Austin has also received several job offers and his considering pursing a position as an electrical apprentice.
“That would be a dream job for me, with a good future,” he says. “I’m thinking of taking them up on it. I’m at a loss for words to describe how touched I am. There are a lot of good people out there.”
Good job, humans. Really proud of you.