In November 2011, Lieutenant AJ St. Croix had the opportunity to meet with a very special boy, Dylan for the first time since their encounter in 2003 when Lt. St. Croix saved Dylan’s life.  It was a very special day for both Lieutenant St. Croix and Dylan and the SJRFD are happy to have the opportunity to share their story.

On May 22, 2003, Lieutenant AJ St. Croix (then Firefighter) and Lieutenant Tom Clarke (retired) were returning back to West Fire Station from a fire call when they heard voices yelling “Help!” and ‘Fireman” in front of ScotiaCenter on Water Street.  This is Lieutenant St. Croix’s recollection of that day:

“Myself and Lieutenant Tom Clarke were returning to West Station from a fire call on Water Street, I had my window rolled down and as we passed ScotiaCenter, I heard voices yelling “help” and “fireman”. I looked at the entrance of the Scotiabank and there were two ladies waving at me, screaming that a baby was inside turning blue and thought he may be choking.

I parked the Rescue truck and ran inside the bank, with Lt. Clarke following me with the medical kit and oxygen.  Just inside the entrance I saw a lady shaking and holding an infant.  The infant was cyanotic in color and lethargic.  I took the infant from her arms and began asking her questions to try and determine what may have happened to him.  She thought he may have been choking.  I laid him on a bench in the lobby and removed most of his clothes.  I was able to observe a weak respiratory effort, yet with zero air entry despite chest movement.  I rolled him on to his left side and applied percussions to his upper chest.  Lt. Clarke passed me the suction unit and I suctioned his mouth and pharynx.  This didn’t produce any removal of food/liquid/saliva, etc.  I had to constantly pat his back.  I removed the suction catheter and inserted a large bore suction tubing into his pharynx.  Phlem and thick mucus and possible milk/formula began to appear in the suction line.

I continued suction and then proceeded to place his head below grade level position.  Within 1 ½ minutes I could feel and observe greater chest movement and could hear air entry.  Lt. Clarke passed me a BVM resuscitator and I forced ventilated him for approximately one minute.  He began breathing spontaneously so I placed an infant oxygen mask on him.  Perhaps 2-3 minutes later the ambulance paramedics arrived and by this time he was no longer cyanotic, his color was a normal pink and he was crying.

When I spoke to Dylan’s mother at the school this month, she told me that he was admitted to the Janeway and was there for 12 days as he had some deep seated mucus plugs in his lung.

At the school when I first entered the classroom, he was not sure why his Mom, the firefighters from RIC22  and myself were with her.  When she spoke about the incident to the class, staff and her family, he first hid behind her.  Shortly after he walked over to me, wrapped his arms around me and hugged me.  He was softly crying and said “thank you”. It was a very moving moment for me”.

While the SJRFD prides itself on the professional manner in which the Firefighters carry out their duties, it is not common for firefighters to have the opportunity to later meet those whose lives they have affected.  And for this, we are especially proud to have been a part of  Lt. St. Croix and Dylan’s special day.