Vernon Hills officer saves infant's life

A Vernon Hills Police officer was in the right place at the right time to save the life of an infant boy who had stopped breathing while in his parents arms at Walmart.

Police received an emergency call about 10:35 p.m. on Dec. 5 for a child who couldn't breathe in the parking lot of the store on Townline Road.

Officer Joe Reyna was nearby and rushed to the scene. He was so close he beat Countryside Fire Protection District paramedics to the store.

Reyna, 32, said he was in a perfect position to respond quickly.

"I was right around the corner, just 15 seconds away," he said. "I came up on the family and the mom was on the cell phone with 911 screaming, 'Someone help my baby!'"

Reyna said he stressed for a moment, realizing the baby's life was in his hands.

"When I didn't hear sirens or see lights I realized this whole thing was up to me," he said. "I looked around for someone else to be in charge, but it was me."

The baby's father was holding the little guy trying to breathe into his mouth but having no luck.

"The baby was blue. I've never seen anything like that. He wasn't moving, wasn't whining, wasn't fussing. It was eerie," Reyna said.

Skill and adrenaline kicked in as Reyna took the child and started CPR.

"I gave him a few respirations and a few pats on the back. I wasn't sure if he was choking on something or exactly why he couldn't breathe, but I kept going," Reyna said.

The results were almost immediate. "All the sudden, he seemed startled and started waving his arms. He started breathing, but it was labored," Reyna said. "But it didn't take long for him to start breathing on his own. His color came back quickly."

Reyna said rescue crews arrived minutes later and transported the child to Advocate Condell Medical Center where he was treated and released.

Reyna credits the CPR training he received from the Countryside Fire Protection District last year for knowing exactly what to do.

"I remembered everything they taught about working with infants," he said. "It all came back to me."

He's been a cop for nine years and said he has performed CPR several times, but this was the first with a "positive outcome."

Watching the baby starting to breathe moments before he may have died made an impression unlike anything else Reyna has experienced.

"Once that kid started to breathe, the feelings were overwhelming," Reyna said. "It was like I just split the atom or something. It was amazing."