One Year After Police Officer Saves Newborn's Life, He Becomes Baby's Godfather
Officer's heroic actions earn him a new family
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Sometimes, the reason a police officer pulls someone over is a little more complicated than for something like speeding.
Deputy William Kimbro, with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, had one of those reasons just over a year ago.
On June 11, Kimbro stopped a car for speeding in Berkeley County, South Carolina.
The incident was caught on his bodycam before being shared by the sheriff’s office on Facebook.
“Upon stopping the vehicle, the driver immediately exited the car and exclaimed that the baby in her vehicle had stopped breathing,” the sheriff’s office shared on July 11.
“Deputy W. Kimbro knew he needed to act immediately to save the baby’s life.”
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“Deputy Kimbro made contact with the 12-day-old baby and her mother in the vehicle," the post continued.
"The mother told the Deputy the baby stopped breathing after drinking a bottle."
"Deputy Kimbro took the baby’s limp and cyanotic body and performed lifesaving first aid.
"As a result, he was able to get the baby to breathe again until EMS could arrive.”
The heart-stopping video shows the deputy does his best to revive the baby as it desperate gasps for air.
Kimbro then clears the baby's mouth before rubbing her chest to try to get her to breathe.
The deputy's heroic efforts where successful and the baby pulled through.
“Because of Deputy Kimbro’s steadfast, professional and heroic response, the 12-day old baby was able to live,” the post continued.
“Please join us in congratulating Deputy Kimbro for his gallant actions that prolonged human life.”
Due to the deputy's heroic actions, he was awarded the “Life-Saving Medal” from the sheriff.
WATCH:
The deputy has remained a staple in the little girl named Ryleigh’s life.
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“Today, one year ago, is the day that I met Ryleigh when I saved her life,” he said, according to WXIN-TV.
“On May 31 was Miss Ryleigh’s 1-year-old birthday, so she had her birthday, and it was just phenomenal.
"We went to the birthday. And it was just, it was great.”
But it wasn't just an invitation to the celebration he received.
The following week, the family asked him and his wife to be Ryleigh’s godparents.
“I was finally able to scratch it off, and, underneath the scratcher, it says ‘Will you be my godfather?'” he recalled.
“And man, sir, let me just tell you something — my jaw just dropped. And, I just had this look on her, on my face.
"And, I looked right at Ryleigh, who was sitting on her grandmother’s lap.
"And, I just said, absolutely, yes, absolutely, and my wife got the same card.”
“What was the reason that I actually went down that street, you know?” he said.
“Because there were five, six, seven other streets I could have gone down.”
“You know what? As the saying goes, ‘God works in mysterious ways.'”
