Filed under: Health and Safety, Dads, Newborn, 0-3 months, Infant / First year

"You're Driving," said constable Stephen Finch, as he tossed the keys to his cruiser to Ken Puddicombe. Puddicombe didn't expect to be driving a police car that day. He was at home with his girlfriend, Michelle Maltais, and two-week old daughter, Zenovia, when the little girl suddenly stopped breastfeeding. "Michelle thought she was sleeping but her eyes were wide open with a blank look," he said. "Michelle started patting her back but nothing happened. We knew we better get to the hospital right away."

Puddicombe spotted Finch's car pulling into the parking lot of a coffee shop and flagged him down. Finch realized that the little girl wasn't breathing and was turning blue, so he began CPR. When dispatch told him it would be ten minutes before an ambulance could arrive, he gave his keys to Puddicombe. They took off with Puddicombe driving and Finch doing first aid in the passenger seat. At speeds well over 100mph, they got Zenovia to the hospital where staff was waiting for them. She later began breathing on her own and was subsequently released.

Michelle was speechless when Finch came to visit in the hospital. "How do you thank somebody that saved your child?" she chokes up. "There's no words that are ever going to express how much thanks. It's not -- I don't -- she's still here because of him."

"Normally you wouldn't hand over the keys to a police cruiser to anybody but, under the circumstances, I don't think there was any other choice Const. Finch could have made," said Peter Leon, spokesperson for the detachment. "When you go through an emergency C-section and have a baby that's only four pounds and five weeks premature, and have this all happen, it's pretty unsettling," said Puddicombe. "But fortunately, everybody was in the right place at the right time and it worked out well. He (Finch)'s a very special guy." I'd have to say that both Puddicombe and Finch are pretty special and little Zenovia is one lucky little girl. Don't you just love a happy ending?

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