Prospect teen helps save infant’s life

0
84

Lt. PJ Conway, left, pins a medal on his son Patrick Conway, 15, during the Prospect Town Council’s November meeting. Both Conways were among people honored for assisting in saving the life of an infant on Oct. 14. The ceremony was held to honor those who assisted in that incident and those who helped save the life of an elderly man who had gone into cardiac arrest on Sept. 28. –CONTRIBUTED

PROSPECT — A Prospect teenager proved that he is ready and able to help the town’s residents.

Patrick Conway, 15, a sergeant with the Prospect Police Cadets helped save the life of a 14-month-old infant girl.

On Oct. 14, Patrick Conway, with his father Lt. PJ Conway of the Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call of an unresponsive infant. The infant had been eating a French fry, which become lodged in the infant’s throat.

“The baby was choking and completely blue. The firefighter at the time was attempting to remove the French fries,” Patrick recalled.

By the time they had arrived, the baby had begun to have a seizure, Patrick Conway explained.

His father helped remove the fry from the infant’s throat and, after the fry had been removed, Patrick Conway helped ventilate the infant.

“After the call the baby was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital, then Life Starred out to Hartford Children’s Hospital,” Patrick said.

The infant was released from the hospital the next day, Patrick Conway said.

At the time of the call, Patrick Conway was halfway through his Emergency Medical Response Technician training. During the incident, Patrick Conway said he remembered his training.

“My mind came in line with what I was going to do,” Patrick Conway said. “I used what I had learned in the EMR class, and it all came together, using the right tools to save this baby.”

Patrick Conway was among 13 people presented awards by Mayor Robert Chatfield during the Town Council’s Nov. 6 meeting for saving the infant’s life and the life of a man suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest in a separate incident on Sept. 28. Those honored were Fire Chief Jay Kolodziej, lieutenants PJ Conway, Randy Donnelly, and Nate Perragallo, firefighters Matt Mckeown, Liz Palmerie, Tim Debiase, Steph Lusas, and Dave Tross, EMTs Cher Brooks and Karly Patrick, MRT Sue Claiborn and Patrick Conway.

Patrick Conway plans to continue serving his town and is interested in going to medical school in the future.

“I plan on continuing up the ladder in the police cadets,” Patrick Conway said. “I hope to go to medical school and start my EMT training by the end of this year.”