A young officer in Arkansas thanked God for his rescue of a baby from choking.
Officer Cody Hubbard of Pottsville Police Department (PPD) saved Joe and Katelin Chronister's infant son, Grady, from choking on anti-gas drops, Fox 16 reported.
Joe shared that they were trying to give his three-week old baby medicine. Grady was fine at first but he started choking on the medicine towards the end. The infant then turned "purple" and stopped breathing. Joe and his wife then decided to call 911.
Hubbard, himself a father, disclosed that he prayed on his way responding to the call.
"A normal day went to a chaotic day in a matter of seconds. When a family is depending on you like that, you know the pressure hits," he said.
The baby's family panicked over the situation, seeing Grady struggling to breathe.
When the officer came, he immediately took the child to help.
Joe said that his family tried everything but Hubbard seemed to know "exactly what to do." He repeatedly tapped the baby on his back to dislodge the drops. The rescue was even recorded on his body camera.
But the officer declared that it was God who helped him do it.
"Pretty much for the Lord to be on my side on this one," Hubbard stated.
After the incident, the officer revealed that he returned to his car, turned off his camera and cried.
"I started just kind of bawling because, you know, it felt good to see how that turned out. Mentally, I just broke down. I was crying, but it was happy tears," he remembered.
Joe was grateful to the officer for saving his child's life.
"Thank you so much for saving Grady's life. We're grateful for it," he said.
The officer described the experience as "life-changing." He uncovered that he encountered the same incident with his own daughter before. He also explained that every time he deals with this situation involving children, he treats them as if they are his kids.
His action was also commended by Rev. Franklin Graham.
On his Facebook page, the evangelist posted a statement, reacting to the article about Hubbard's story.
"This police officer is a hero!" he began.
He then shared how Hubbard saved the baby's life and honored God with the good outcome.
Further, he also expressed his gratitude to all the police officers serving the country.
"Our police and law enforcement respond to calls day in and day out where lives are on the line-including their own sometimes. This story is a reminder to be thankful for their dedication and courage as they serve in our communities. They need our prayers and our encouragement. Let Officer Hubbard and other officers reading this know that you appreciate them in the comments below," Rev. Graham wrote.
Hubbard's police department also recognized him for rescuing the child. On its Facebook page, the Pottsville Arkansas Police Department shared that it is grateful to the officer for his "quick response" that saved the "little life."
The rookie is set to receive a life-saving award for his heroic effort later this month.
