A Framingham, Massachusetts, police officer has been credited with saving the life of a choking 2-month-old baby in the lobby of the police station on July 19.
Police say the child’s parents rushed into the lobby at around 6 p.m., requesting urgent help for their baby, who was struggling to breathe.
Officer Ryan Porter, the CPR instructor with the Framingham Police Department, immediately rushed into action. When the baby stopped breathing entirely, Porter administered a series of back blows that cleared an obstruction lodged in the infant’s throat.
Porter, who has been working as a police officer for over five years, later told The MetroWest Daily News that his training helped him decide the correct course of action.
“I followed my training,” Porter recalled. “He (the shift commander) yelled, ‘lobby, lobby,’ and I rushed out there, not sure what was happening. They came in, and she (the mother) handed me their baby. I took the baby and began to evaluate what was happening. He was struggling, but he was breathing a little. After about 30 seconds, he stopped breathing.”
The baby then resumed breathing and was eventually cleared by hospital staff. Porter said he felt relieved to see the baby behaving normally again.
“He started crying, kicking and wailing, and at that point, I knew it worked,” Porter explained. “It was a good feeling. Instant relief. That’s how I’d describe it. It felt really good to realize he was breathing normally and doing all right.”
Porter then walked the family outside to wait for an ambulance, which transported the child to MetroWest Medical Center for further evaluation.
“This happy outcome is a credit to the fast actions of the parents and Officer Porter. Well done!” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
Two days later, the family returned to the police department to thank Porter again for his actions. Ravi had just turned 2 months old that very day.
“They just wanted to come in and say hi,” Porter said. “I was really happy to see them. He (Ravi) was really well behaved.”
“He was delighted to see that baby Ravi is doing well (and that Mom and Dad are too!). Big brother was also there to share in the happiness. Thank you for the visit!” the department continued.
The post also included photos of the officer posing with the family and the infant.
