BOSTON HERALD- December 16, 2003Dispatcher, officer give tot gift of life
By Jessica Heslam
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
A grateful mother brought her newborn daughter to the Fall River police station yesterday to thank the dispatcher who gave her a quick CPR lesson and the cop who fought his way through a ferocious snowstorm to save her baby's life.
``I've caught bank robbers and put drug dealers in jail, but there was nothing like that feeling when that baby started to cry,'' said officer Brett Kimball, who got 2-week-old Leah Moniz breathing again after she choked on a fruit snack last week.
``It really was a Christmas miracle, to see that baby come to life right in front of me,'' said the 33-year-old Kimball, who has been a cop for two years. ``It felt like I won a millon dollars.''
Kimball was dispatched to the choking baby's home last Sunday during the region's first snowstorm.
The officer was heading toward the home when he became blocked by a car stuck in the snow. Kimball hopped out of his cruiser and sprinted two blocks to the home, where he was met by the baby's panicked father on the porch.
Dispatcher Giselle Williams was on the telephone with the baby's mother, Kristie Moniz, directing her through CPR. The infant began to cry, but again stopped breathing, police said.
Kimball raced inside and picked up the 6-pound baby, who wasn't breathing and had no pulse.
He said he gave the baby two breaths, but they came back out, and a few ``back blows'' to try and loosen the fruit snack her little brother had given her.
When he breathed into her tiny mouth again, her chest rose, and he delivered chest compressions. The tiny baby gave a little cough and began to cry, Kimball said.
``Each time she drew another breath, the cries got louder,'' Kimball said.
Yesterday, Kimball got to hold the baby girl he helped save. ``It was fantastic,'' he said.
Excellent Job! =D> =D> =D>
