- Five-month-old Sebastian stopped breathing while in aunt’s car
- Police officer and fire crew stuck in traffic rushed to help perform CPR
- Baby Sebastian is now recovering in hospital
The aunt of the baby who suddenly stopped breathing as she drove him in her car has told of how she was struck by horror, but taken over by instinct, as she realized her nephew was no longer breathing.
Pamela Rauseo, 37, was driving on one of the busiest highways in Miami yesterday afternoon after taking the five month old to the hospital to have tests.
The newborn was born prematurely and suffers with respiratory issues and had recently had some congestion.
His aunt, who regularly looks after him whilst his mother is at work, was taking the baby boy back home when suddenly everything in the car fell silent.
Saved: Beautiful baby boy Sebastian de la Cruz who lost consciousness on a busy Miami highway on Thursday is being cradled by his mom Paola Vargas, who works as a nurse at the hospital where he was taken
Family: Baby Sebastian comes from a loving family and will one day realize how his own aunt and a group of Miami strangers helped to save his life
Close call: Little Sebastian de la Cruz after the harrowing ordeal on Thursday afternoon along the Dolphin Expressway. The baby is in stable condition in hospital
All is calm: Little Sebastian usually wails constantly, but when he suddenly went quiet in the back of the car, Pamela Rauseo, his aunt, knew something was wrong
‘I was driving along the 836 Dolphin Expressway and he was crying. He’s always crying. Even when the car is moving, he’s constantly crying,’ said Ms Rauseo, speaking to the MailOnline.
‘We had come to a stop as we were stuck in traffic when suddenly the crying stopped. Everything was dead quiet. I knew something was wrong immediately.’
Struck by panic, Ms Rauseo made the decision to pull over and to find out what was wrong.
Adding to the drama, she was unable to see the little boy either by turning around or in her rear-view mirror because his car seat was facing away from her.
‘He was in the rear of the car but I couldn’t even check to see if he was still breathing,’ she recalled.
Ms Rauseo pulled over in the fast lane of the highway, placed the car in park and raced around to open the back door.
Mommy's boy: Sebastian de la Cruz was born prematurely. He has suffered from breathing difficulties
Highway Heroes: Paramedics Lieutenant Toranez (left) and Captain Trim who helped keep baby Sebastian alive after the infant suddenly stopped breathing
Heroes: Police officer Amauris Bastidas holds baby Sebastian close, as driver Lucila Godoy, right, comforts the baby's aunt, Pamela Rauseo
Quick thinking: Pamela Rauseo performs CPR on her nephew, Sebastian de la Cruz, aged only five months, with Lucila Godoy to her right
Emergency: Pamela Rauseo performs CPR on her baby nephew after he stopped breathing in her car
When she got round to the back of the car, her instinct proved to be correct.
Sebastian had lost his pinkish glow and was slowly turning blue.
‘He had lost all color and was limp. Completely limp! It was frightening.’
She took the car seat out and placed in on the ground by the side of the vehicle whilst she began to perform CPR on the child, realising how delicate her motions would have to be given how very young the baby was.
‘I don’t know how I remembered what to do. I just knew I couldn’t let him die!’
‘I began to shout for help,’ Ms Rauseo said. ‘I screamed for people to come over and help but not many people knew how to give CPR to a five-month-old.’ We realize the value of services like cpr training waterloo in such situations. In situations where immediate assistance is crucial, having a basic first aid certification online is essential. It is necessary to know the basics at least, as you might not always find help readily available.
With traffic at a standstill, fellow drivers began to help. A police officer and two firefighters who were stuck in traffic rushed to her aid.
Rescue team: Police officer Amauris Bastidas, left, and two emergency workers lean in as the baby starts to breathe
Relief: Alvaro Tonanez of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue checks the baby's airway is clear
Comforting: Officer Bastidas holds baby Sebastian close as he watches paramedics arrive
Hero: Aunt Pamela Rauseo, 37, was in the car when her baby nephew stopped breathing and she had to pull over to the side of the road
Lucky man: If it wasn't for the quick think-thinking actions of Pamela Rauseo, the lovely little lad might have breathed his last
In safe hands: A paramedic carries Sebastian into an emergency vehicle so he can be taken to hospital
Just as the baby started to catch his breath, more help arrived after Anthony Trim and Alvaro Tonanez from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue heard the emergency call while stuck in traffic.
The rescue workers were able to keep Sebastian breathing until paramedics arrived at which point the professionals were able to take over.
Ms Rauseo knows just how incredibly lucky she was to have had strangers help save her nephews’ life.
Baby Sebastian is now back in hospital where he is undergoing further tests. His mother, Paola Vargas, is a registered nurse and is desperate to understand how and why her son stopped breathing.
Sebastian was photographed later that day in his mother’s arms, smiling, the color having returned to his face.
Ms Rauseo works is an interior designer and runs Round321, a company dedicated to designing innovative and unique pieces for parents and children.
Her company crafted Sebastian’s nursery and regularly babysits bubbly boy when his mother is at work.
Home again: Although baby Sebastian is still undergoing tests, it shouldn't be long before he is safely back home in the fabulous bedroom his aunt designed
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