Woman 'grateful' for Schaumburg police officers who saved granddaughter's life
The dash cam in a Schaumburg police car captured two police officers who last week saved the life of 19-month-old Aureliana Colon who was choking while she was driving in the car with her grandmother.
Police Officers Bryan Poradzisz and Kevin O'Connor arrived at the vehicle on Higgins Road near Route 53 at 8:50 p.m. March 10 for a call of a child who was possibly choking.
The girl's grandmother, Sonia Melendez, says Colon seemed fine when they were walking around Woodfield Mall, and she originally thought her granddaughter just had the hiccups.
But when she looked in the back seat, she saw Colon's eyes rolling back and believed she was choking. That was when she pulled the car over.
“My granddaughter was almost lifeless at that point,” Melendez said. “Her lips were turning blue.”
Melendez said another woman pulled over and helped her calm down and dial 911.
“It felt like an eternity, but they really got there so quickly,” Melendez said.
When Poradzisz first arrived, the girl was unresponsive, not breathing and her lips were blue, according to a news release from the Schaumburg Police Department.
Poradzisz began administering the Heimlich maneuver, followed by CPR.
When O'Connor arrived on the scene shortly after Poradzisz, he used his finger to clear mucus and vomit from the girl's airway.
“Something caused her to vomit, and she breathed it back in and choked on it,” Schaumburg Police Lt. Shawn Green said.
Once her airway was clear, the girl “almost immediately” began breathing again and regained consciousness, according to the release.
“We couldn't be more proud of them,” Green said. “They, without hesitation, reacted and knew what to do.”
Colon and her grandmother were traveling home to Chicago after spending the day in Schaumburg.
Melendez says her granddaughter has made a full recovery, and is in good health now.
“Just to know how quickly they got there and they were able to revive her, and the paramedics were right behind them,” Melendez said. “I know they do these things every day, but I'm grateful just to know they were there to help us.”