This rookie police officer from Pottsville, Arkansas, is being hailed a hero for saving a newborn baby’s life.
Officer Cody Hubbard, 23, of the Pottsville Police Department, recently responded to a call about a 3-week-old baby who needed help after choking on anti-gas drops.
“We were trying to give Grady his medicine … and he was taking them just fine,” father Joe Chronister said. “Right towards the end, he started choking.”
Baby Grady started to turn purple, prompting Chronister and his wife to call 911.
The police officer, a parent himself, prayed all the way going to the location.
“A normal day went to a chaotic day in a matter of seconds,” he said. “When a family is depending on you like that, you know the pressure hits.”
The poor baby was struggling to get air, leaving his parents and grandmother feeling panicked and helpless.
When Hubbard arrived at the scene, he immediately jumped into action. He experienced a similar problem with his daughter before, so he was able to handle the situation.
“We were trying everything, and it seemed like he (Hubbard) knew exactly what to do,” recalled Joe Chronister, the baby’s father.
However, the officer said he had help from the one above.
“Pretty much for the Lord to be on my side on this one,” Hubbard said.
He also explained how he deals with situations involving children.
“Whenever I rolled up on this call, anytime I deal with something that involves a child, I think about how the parents would want me to treat the child as if it was mine,” he said.
Hubbard’s rescue was all caught on camera by his bodycam. In the footage, he can be seen clapping the newborn on the back and trying to squeeze from under his armpits. These strategies ultimately helped dislodge the medication from where they were stuck.
After a few moments, baby Grady started to breathe and cry.
“He saved my baby’s life,” Chronister said about Hubbard’s heroic deed.
After the terrifying ordeal, Hubbard got into his car and turned his camera off. Trying to take in what had just happened, the officer let all his emotions out.
“I started just kind of bawling because, you know, it felt good to see how that turned out,” he recalled. “Mentally, I just broke down. I was crying, but it was happy tears.”
He also said the experience was “life-changing.”
Hubbard will be receiving a life-saving award later this month. Meanwhile, baby Grady is now doing fine.
The Pottsville Police Department posted about the incident on Facebook, thanking Hubbard for his efforts in saving the baby’s life.
“As an officer you never know what is ahead of you for the day, it can go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye,” they wrote in the caption. “Last Saturday Officer Hubbard went above and beyond to save a little life, thank you Officer Hubbard for your quick response. This is what we are all about!”
This little guy won’t have any recollection of the stranger who saved his life, but his parents will never forget.
“Thank you so much for saving Grady’s life,” Chronister said. ” We’re grateful for it.”
According to Healthline, here’s what you should do if your baby is choking.
- Check if your baby is actually choking as they may be just coughing or gagging. If your baby is unable to cry, cough, make any noise or take breaths, that’s when you know they’re choking.
- Call 911 and explains the steps you’re doing to the operator.
- Place your baby facedown on your forearm and deliver five quick and strong blows to the area between their shoulder blades.
- Turn the baby over onto their back, keeping their head lower than their chest. Find your baby’s breastbone and press down five times with ample pressure to press the chest down about one-third.
- Repeat the chest thrusts, and if ever your baby loses consciousness, tell the 911 operator immediately.
Here’s the moment Officer Hubbard saved baby Grady’s life.
Thank you, Officer Hubbard, for saving baby Grady’s life. You are indeed a hero!
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