Honk News (Indianapolis, IN) – A police officer in Indianapolis is receiving commendations for rescuing a premature baby, whose mother was unaware of her pregnancy.
Bodycam footage reveals Kelly Chappell from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department swiftly entering a residence and taking a newborn from a woman who claimed she was unaware of her pregnancy. Chappell swiftly administers rapid chest compressions to the small child.
The officer shared with PEOPLE that she was able to get two gasps of air from the baby, which brought immense relief.
“This baby is going to have a chance,” she remembers thinking at that moment. “It’s really more of a miracle.”
With 19 years of experience under her belt, Chappell, 47, felt her training and instincts take over as soon as she reached the location.
“I felt for a pulse — couldn’t feel anything. She had a bluish tint, the officer recalls, swiftly starting CPR by pressing two fingers on the baby’s chest. The footage from the body camera reveals Chappell gently inserting her finger into the newborn’s mouth and extracting a small quantity of a viscous fluid that the infant might have ingested during birth.
After approximately eight minutes of dedicated lifesaving efforts, she entrusted the baby to paramedics, who promptly transported her to the hospital.
“You want to make everything possible for that parent,” remarks Chappell, who praises the mother for her proactive approach following the surprise home birth.
A woman gave birth in the bathroom to a child who was later assessed to be between 23 and 26 weeks of gestation, weighing approximately 2 lbs., according to Chappell’s statement. The mother severed the umbilical cord, enveloped the infant in a purple shirt, and gently patted the newborn in an effort to stimulate her breathing.
“I told her, ‘You did exactly what you need to do to keep your daughter alive,” shares Chappell, a mother of two teenagers and a stepmother to an adult daughter. The officer reveals that she still keeps an old poster in her cabinet at home detailing the steps for performing CPR on children in case of choking.
The officer notes that it’s quite common for individuals to be unaware of their pregnancy initially. She was unaware of her pregnancy for nearly four months with one of her children.
“I didn’t know for quite a while,” Chappell remembers. “Not everybody feels their child move.”
The mother is recovering nicely, and her baby is steadily improving in the hospital, according to Chappell, who notes that the baby’s middle name fittingly translates to “miracle” in Spanish.
“God puts you in a place for a reason,” she notes. “Every day you’re just thankful the baby made it another day.”
Chappell was honored by the police department for her contributions. “Officer Kelly Chappell’s remarkable lifesaving actions fill us with immense pride,” states IMPD spokesman Tommy Thompson. “Her determination guaranteed that the infant would take another breath.”