2 LAPD Officers Credited With Saving Young Toddler's Life Following Apparent Seizure
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Two LAPD officers of the 77th Division were just about to conclude a routine day on patrol when they ended up saving the life of a young toddler in South Los Angeles on Saturday.
On Tuesday, both officers were able to reunite with the toddler and his eternally grateful mother.
Charmaine Gooden's 17-month-old son Javon experienced what doctors are calling a seizure on Saturday, which caused the toddler to stop breathing.
"Something told me to look behind, to look in (the) back, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he was looking out the window, and his eyes were blinking," Good said.
Gooden, seeking medical attention, was driving down Florence at Broadway in South Los Angeles when she spotted the patrol car, which was heading back to the station.
Gooden began driving erratically and started honking her horn repeatedly in order to get the attention of the officers.
"As we were driving, the vehicle continued to honk erratically, and it was speeding up, so at that point we knew something was wrong," officer Johnny Han said.
Upon seeing the child, the officers decided immediate action was necessary if he were to survive. That is when officer Andres Cardenas administered emergency CPR.
"They opened the door, we saw the baby was a little slumped over, he was not breathing," Cardenas said. "I applied a small chest compression and as soon as I did that he kind of aroused a little bit."
Paramedics then arrived on the scene and transported young Javon to the hospital, where he remained through Tuesday evening.
"The doctors said it was really life-threatening, he could have passed away in the back seat, in his car seat, if I didn't get the help," Gooden said.
Gooden, meanwhile, says she owes her son's life to the two officers, who were in the right place at the right time.
"Thank you so much for saving my baby's life," Gooden told the officers on Tuesday.
