St. Charles officer honored for saving child's life
St. Charles Police Officer Jennifer Larsen was on routine patrol May 7 when she got a call to assist the fire department, rolling out to a report of a cardiac arrest.
The news changed while she was en route: The victim was a toddler, not breathing, possibly due to a broken neck.
But thanks to Larsen, the girl survived. And for her action, Larsen was named the Kane County Officer of the Year Wednesday night, by the Kane County Chiefs of Police Association.
According to St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan, the child had been lying on a bed, unattended, and fell off. Her head became wedged between the bed and the wall.
The father, carrying the child, met Larsen outside the duplex. They laid her on the ground. Larsen's medical-response training kicked in. She gave a painful sternum rub, trying to stimulate the unconscious girl. When that didn't work, Larsen started chest compressions.
"I was nervous. I kept telling myself to make it better," Larsen said.
After several rounds, the girl began gasping for air. She was taken to a children's hospital in Chicago, and has recovered, according to Larsen. The child did not have a broken neck.
It's the second year in a row, Larsen was nominated for the award. Last year, she was one of six officers who saved a drunken driver who had driven in to the Fox River. She was also the organizer of last year's "Badges and Butterburgers" fundraiser for Special Olympics, and helped teach the department's Spanish-language Citizens Police Academy. She is leading the department's team participating in the "Polar Plunge" fundraiser Sunday in Yorkville.
Larsen has worked for St. Charles for three years. Before that, she was a Kendall County Sheriff's deputy.