After dealing with dangerous situations for 25 years, a police officer received a call to save a choking 2-month-old girl from dying. He immediately reached the baby’s house where he saw her father begging others to save his little girl.
Kenneth Knox joined the police force in 1990 when he began working at Meriweather County, Georgia. The man has seen the worst as a policeman, but one incident changed his perception forever.
It was a regular day for Knox on September 4, 2016, when he received a call informing him about a baby girl choking on food. He knew he had to get there as soon as possible because it was an emergency that required immediate attention.
The Little Girl Couldn’t Breathe
Knox drove to the infant’s house and hopped out of his car to check on the little girl. A crowd surrounded the house’s front door while Knox made his way to the entrance. There, he saw the girl’s father asking people to save her.
Ma’Yavi Parham’s parents told her she began choking an hour after eating. When Knox saw the baby girl, her skin had turned blue, and she was struggling to breathe.
Ma’Yavi’s mother, Kristen Parham, said she was sitting with her daughter when the unexpected happened. Ma’Yavi suddenly couldn’t breathe, and Kristen had no idea what happened.
She Needed Help
When Knox inspected the girl, her parents told him they had tried CPR, but it didn’t work. Amidst the panic, the officer had no idea what to do. He only prayed for the girl’s life.
While Knox’s story went viral on social media, he received an unexpected call from Kristen.
In his career of 25 years, Knox had never felt so puzzled. He thought hard about how to save the girl while he laid her flat on the couch. Just then, a great idea struck his mind.
“It came from God,” Knox said while explaining what he did to save the infant. He figured out that he needed to remove the piece of cereal stuck in her throat, but his method was extraordinary. He recalled:
“I did reverse CPR.”
Instead of blowing air inside the baby’s mouth, Knox sucked it in, hoping it would help remove the piece of cereal stuck in her throat. It took him multiple tries before he felt the piece of food pop inside his mouth and travel down his throat.
Moments after Knox removed the piece of cereal, Ma’Yavi’s skin turned pink again, and she smiled at the police officer. The heartwarming moment is now forever etched in his mind.
Knox said saving Ma’Yavi’s life was the highlight of his career. He admitted that the incident changed his life and humbled him. He even shared a photo on Facebook, where he was seen holding the little girl in his arms.
The photo of a muscular, white officer holding a black infant sent a positive message. It showed that Knox was not only concerned for white people but also supported people of color in the neighborhood.
Moreover, Knox revealed that he often received dinner invites from white people and black people, and he loved visiting their homes to have a meal.
After Knox’s photo with Ma’Yavi circulated on the internet, the representatives of Black Lives Matter approached him. They appreciated his efforts and wished other police officers were like him.
While Knox’s story went viral on social media, he received an unexpected call from Kristen. She asked him if he would like to be her daughter’s godfather.
Knox felt honored to receive such a heartwarming opportunity. He instantly accepted Kristen’s offer and became little Ma’Yavi’s godfather.
Kristen confessed that she felt Knox was the right person to be her daughter’s godfather. She revealed that her daughter smiled whenever she looked at the police officer who saved her life.
After the life-changing incident, Kristen often sent photos and videos of her daughter to Knox. He was happy to know that he would see the little girl grow old and that his grandchildren would also bond with Ma’Yavi.
We wish the little girl all the best and hope that Knox’s story inspires others. His bravery and quick thinking skills helped him save Ma’Yavi, and he got the chance to become her godfather as a reward.
