A police officer from the Monroe City Police Department in Michigan reflected on his heroic actions when he saved a choking baby on September 5.
The incident occurred at a home on Harrison Street in Monroe.
“It was probably 15 minutes until the end of my shift. I was putting my gear away, and that call comes out: baby unresponsive,” rookie Officer Jordan Patterson recalled.
Within a minute, the officer pulled up next to the house and ran to meet the parents, who informed him that they believed the infant was choking on something.
Patterson immediately utilized his CPR training on 5-week-old Ella Rose.
“I grabbed the baby. I did some back blows. It sounded like (the baby) started coughing it up but still wasn’t fully breathing, but that’s when dad suctioned cupped what was in (her) mouth, and that’s when the baby started crying,” Patterson said.
According to the New York Department of Health, choking is a frequent occurrence among babies and sends 12,000 children to the emergency room each year.
Neighbor and nurse Athena Clawson was across the street when she saw Patterson and other first responders arrive on the scene.
“It’s scary, obviously. I happened to look outside and noticed a fire truck and an ambulance, and I noticed the cop had something in his hand, and I couldn’t tell at first what it was. And, I noticed it was a little bitty baby,” Clawson stated.
Clawson said she ran across the street to ask if they needed help, but by that point, the baby was breathing again.
For Patterson, this is the second choking incident he’s encountered on the job in his first year on the force.
“I remember in the academy they were teaching us for like a month first aid on infants, adults, children, and I thought, ‘No way am I ever going to have to use this, maybe once in my career,’” Patterson said.
Patterson has since been praised for his actions by his superiors, but he gave credit to the father and emergency personnel on the scene.
“It feels good because hard work actually paid off, and I’m glad I was able to assist that family. It’s why I got into this job,” said Patterson.
The family said Baby Ella is doing just fine now.
