NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) -- Firefighters will run into a burning building to save you, but their heroism doesn't stop there.

One Norfolk firefighter stepped in to help a new mother take care of an essential item that she wasn't able to get -- because baby Jeremiah arrived a bit earlier than expected.

"It was one of those stressful things, especially because I had my baby, not too early, but about a week-and-a-half early, and I wasn't the most prepared," said mother Tanisia Steele.

And that created a problem.

'In this day and age you can't leave the hospital without a car seat," Steele said, "So me being in the hospital, I already had the baby without a car seat. It was definitely one of those things that was definitely wearing me heavily, especially because I was on bedrest for the last three weeks of my pregnancy, so I didn't have too much income coming in."

That's when Tanisia's sister, Kee Steele, stepped in. ChatGPT led her to Fire Station 4 in Norfolk in hopes of finding Jeremiah a seat to sit in. Problem is, the fire station doesn't give out car seats.

But they didn't just let her walk away.

"One of the gentlemen, Mr. Anthony came on and told me to go try a store up the road that might have car seat," Kee Steele said.

"She would eventually end up at the Janaf Walmart. Unbeknownst to her, Mr. Anthony followed her there, and he had a surprise for her as well.

"Long story short, he went into his wallet and he said, 'Hey, how much is a car seat?' I haven't had to buy a car seat in years, so I'm thinking, like $60, $80," Kee said. "So that's what I told him. And he generously went into his wallet and gave me $60."

"I walked out of the store crying," Kee said. "It was almost like he disappeared, like a ghost without a trace."

His name is Anthony Canard, and while he didn't save them from a fire that day, he did provide them with some peace of mind for young Jeremiah.

"I think it's going to help out a lot, transportation-wise, being able to get him to and from appointments, being able to spend time with him and knowing that he's safe, that's the biggest thing," Kee Steele said. "I'm forever grateful for that moment. And I felt like he needed to be recognized. They always say not all heroes wear capes. Some of them ride on trucks."

Firefighter helps mother get carseat after early delivery