Baby Ryder turned one month old this week but it’s a milestone he almost didn’t make.
His father Bao Nguyen was bottle feeding his son in their Kings Park home last Tuesday night when Ryder began to choke on his milk.
Ryder turned blue, then purple. His eyes rolled back. He stopped breathing.
Bao and his wife Phuong bundled their baby into the family car and headed for the hospital.
On their way, Ryder stopped breathing.
When Bao spotted a police car travelling in the opposite direction he decided he needed help. At 9.30pm Bao stopped his car at the intersection of Cairnlea Drive and Station Road, Deer Park and flagged down the police.
Bao was screaming. Phuong was sobbing uncontrollably. She kept begging her baby: “Please don’t leave me, please don’t leave me.”
Sergeant Christopher White and Constable Alice Campbell went into emergency mode – after assessing the situation they drove Bao and Ryder to the Western Hospital in Footscray.
All the while, Bao performed CPR on Ryder in the back seat, under the guidance of the two officers.
Recalling the emergency last week, Sergeant Christopher White said they were almost at the hospital when he heard the tiniest of breaths from the back seat.
“We were about 100 metres from the hospital when he started breathing again,” Sergeant Christopher White said.
“Hearing his little breath come out was pretty cool.
“That’s when I knew we were doing alright.”
Reunited at a press conference at Sunshine police station last week, the officers praised Bao and Phuong for their quick action in getting Ryder to the hospital quickly and safely.
“They turned a really bad day into a really amazing day,” Sergeant White said.
He said he and Constable Campbell were “just in the right place at the right time and got the right outcome.”
An emotional Bao turned and looked at both police officers. It was obvious the role they played in helping save the life of their first and only child will bind them for life.
“If it wasn’t for what they did, we might not have our son here today,” Bao said, translating for his wife.
Bao had a message for parents. “Be vigilant.”
