A couple from North Carolina thinks a recent traffic stop saved their infant’s life. According to WCTI, Derrick Stroud and his fiancée Victoria O’Neal was pulled over by an NC State Highway Patrol officer after Stroud stated that he was traveling almost 100 mph on Highway 148 to get his baby daughter from their Kinston home to ECU Health.
Stroud stated that his daughter was not breathing after experiencing RSV symptoms. “It’s as if God sent him to be there,” the couple said to Goodmorningamerica. The parents claimed they don’t know if their daughter, a triplet named Amelia, would be alive if Trooper Matthew Brown hadn’t taken them over.
“I really had no words, but other than focusing on getting my baby to the hospital to get taken care of,” Stroud said. “Although we knew it was the season for this stuff, we really didn’t pick up on it. Other than a little cough, and that cough went from cough to a hoarse cry in a matter of three to six hours.”
Stroud stated that he was aware that he would most certainly be pulled up due to his speed. The stop ended out to be a blessing in disguise. “He noticed that she needed help right away and got help as fast as he good and he knew what’s best for us,” Stroud said of the trooper’s action. Brown, a former firefighter, and EMT said he felt he needed to act quickly to save the baby’s life.
“When I got back there, the baby was unresponsive sitting in the child’s seat. I turned her head towards me and I could see that her lips started to go blue and she was having a lot of trouble breathing,” Trooper Brown said. “Once I got her out of the seat, she started to breathe a little bit better. Her blueness started to go away and I started to rub her back and stimulate her to keep her awake where she could focus on getting her breathing back to normal.”
Brown, who is also a twin and is expecting twins in June, said he’s simply thankful he was able to perform his job. The parents, on the other hand, think differently, thanking him for rescuing their daughter.
“Thank you so much, I cannot express how grateful I am that you were where you were when you were,” O’Neal said. “From the bottom of my heart, that means a lot and I do thank you so much. I wanted to get the word out and let everybody know how much of an angel you were Tuesday to me.”
Amelia’s health has improved and she is now stable, according to WCTI. The parents took their other two daughters once they started to show RSV symptoms.