published: Friday, January 29, 2010

Infant still clings to life

MILLARD K. IVES

Staff Writer

CLERMONT -- A 5-week-old baby boy was clinging to life Saturday evening at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children after he stopped breathing during a feeding, but police officers are credited with helping to resuscitate him.

According to a Clermont police spokesman, the mother was bottle-feeding the infant at home when he became ill.

Police spokesman Capt. Jon Johnson said although the infant is "not out of the woods yet," the two officers, Christopher Vigeant and Ramon Rodriquez, are responsible for giving this child the "chance it now has to survive.

"Their quick and decisive actions and unwillingness to give up gave hope to both parents and their newborn infant," Johnson said.

According to Johnson, the officers responded to a Clermont home where an infant, whom the department didn't identify, was grey and appeared lifeless in the mother's arms.

The mother told police the baby had began to choke on the formula.

Johnson said that Vigeant, without hesitation, immediately began to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with the assistant of Rodriguez until Emergency Medical Services arrived.

After being stabilized at South Lake Hospital, the infant was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for children. At 6 p.m., the child was still undergoing testing.

Johnson said both officers would be recognized for their actions. MILLARD K. IVES

Staff Writer

CLERMONT -- A 5-week-old baby boy was clinging to life Saturday evening at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children after he stopped breathing during a feeding, but police officers are credited with helping to resuscitate him.

According to a Clermont police spokesman, the mother was bottle-feeding the infant at home when he became ill.

Police spokesman Capt. Jon Johnson said although the infant is "not out of the woods yet," the two officers, Christopher Vigeant and Ramon Rodriquez, are responsible for giving this child the "chance it now has to survive.

"Their quick and decisive actions and unwillingness to give up gave hope to both parents and their newborn infant," Johnson said.

According to Johnson, the officers responded to a Clermont home where an infant, whom the department didn't identify, was grey and appeared lifeless in the mother's arms.

The mother told police the baby had began to choke on the formula.

Johnson said that Vigeant, without hesitation, immediately began to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with the assistant of Rodriguez until Emergency Medical Services arrived.

After being stabilized at South Lake Hospital, the infant was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for children. At 6 p.m., the child was still undergoing testing.

Johnson said both officers would be recognized for their actions.