Officer breathes life into newborn
CPR performed on a mini-scale to minutes-old baby
By Glenn Smith
CPR performed on a mini-scale to minutes-old baby
The Post and Courier
North Charleston Police Officer David Campbell resuscitated a three-month premature baby last week.
The Post and Courier
Shanice Johnson, mother of the infant resuscitated by North Charleston police Officer David Campbell last week.
A cramp pierced Shanice Johnson's belly Friday as she curled on the couch watching television in her Forest Hills home.
She shrugged it off as a stomach ache. Though she was nearly six months pregnant, her baby wasn't due until March. The 19-year-old had seen her doctor just the day before. Everything looked fine.
"Must be something I ate," she thought, as the pain grew worse.
Then her water broke.
Shanice looked down in shock and reached for the phone. She dialed 911.
"Please don't let me deliver my baby yet."
A few miles away, North Charleston police officer David Campbell was catching his breath after a foot chase along Ladson Road. He had to zap the suspect with a Taser stun gun after the man assaulted a fellow officer. Campbell was filling out paperwork on the incident when a report of Shanice's emergency crackled over the police radio.
Campbell raced to her home on Pepperdam Creek Drive with sirens blaring. First to arrive, he ran to the front door and grabbed the handle. The door swung open as someone pulled from the other side.
Shanice stood before him, half-dressed and covered in blood.
Campbell looked down and saw what appeared to be a small doll lying on the carpet. It was no doll.
A tiny newborn lay limp on the floor, its eyes partially open, chest still. It couldn't have been more than 9 inches long, with umbilical chord and placenta still attached.
The 38-year-old officer has three children of his own, but he had never seen an infant so small.
He suddenly wished he was anywhere but there.
The sound of a tinny voice jolted him from his surprise. It came from a cell phone lying on the floor beside the baby.
"Is anyone there? Is anyone there?"
Campbell picked up the phone. It was a county dispatcher. As Campbell relayed information over the phone, his training kicked in and he knew what he had to do: get the child breathing.
Campbell trained in CPR but had never put those skills to the test on a human being. His first attempt would be on a boy who weighed less than a pound and a half.
Campbell picked up the fragile form. The child fit neatly into his palm, with only little feet dangling from his hand. The infant stared back with dull, glazed eyes.
Campbell recalled his training officer telling him that too much air could overwhelm a baby's tiny lungs. He took care to breathe gently as he passed small puffs of air from his mouth to the child's. In between breaths, he pressed on the newborn's chest with a finger or two to restore circulation. Just like in the book: two rescue breaths, 30 chest compressions, two rescue breaths, 30 chest compressions. Gradually, life began to return.
"Please God, let him be OK," Campbell prayed. "And let EMS get here sooner than later."
He lost track of time. Another officer appeared and patted his back. "You're doing fine, Dave."
Suddenly, emergency medical technicians were at his side with an oxygen mask that practically covered the child's head.
At the ambulance, they told Campbell that the child's heart was beating. Relief. EMS rushed the little boy and his mother to Medical University Hospital, while Campbell was sent to another doctor's office to be checked for exposure to blood and potential pathogens. There, he learned that the infant and mother were doing all right. Tears ran down the officer's cheeks.
The infant, since named Jerimiah Jaylin Laron Chisolm, is breathing on his own and should be fine, doctors said. He is expected to remain in the hospital until February. Shanice visits him in intensive care every day.
Shanice and her parents, Bruce and Laverne Simmons, paid a visit to the North Charleston Police Department on Wednesday to thank Campbell for his efforts. They handed him a fruit basket. Bruce Simmons offered to have Campbell over for barbecue sometime.
"If it weren't for him and God, my grandson wouldn't be here today," Simmons said. "There's not much I really can say but 'Thank you.' "
Police Chief Jon Zumalt told Campbell that he was proud of him for saving a life. Such victories make the long hours and hard work worthwhile for police, he said.
Tall and soft-spoken, Campbell seemed a bit surprised by all the attention. He was just glad he could help give young Jerimiah a shot at life. Campbell hopes he can visit him in the hospital. He wants to see this new life one more time, under less daunting circumstances.
"You have to give a lot of credit to that little boy," he said. "He just came into this world and he wasn't ready to go out just yet. He was a fighter and he's still fighting. God must have some sort of plan for him."
Reach Glenn Smith at 937-5556 or gsmith@postandcourier.com.
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now_ready1 (anonymous) says...
North Charleston Police Officer David Campbell, God put a task before you got 100% markings.
GREAT JOB!
You did better than I could have.
December 6, 2007 at 5:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
now_ready1 (anonymous) says...
North Charleston Police Officer David Campbell, God put a task before you and you got 100% markings.
GREAT JOB!
You did a lot better than I could have.
December 6, 2007 at 5:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DanniD (anonymous) says...
WOW!! What a great story to read first thing in the morning!! Officer Campbell, JOB WELL DONE!!! The baby is very fortunate that you came along and did what you did! A true hero.
December 6, 2007 at 6:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hey_U_Guys (anonymous) says...
What a wonderful, heartwarming story GOOD WORK OFFICER!!
December 6, 2007 at 7:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
marcus74bishop (anonymous) says...
Awesome work, Officer Campbell! You are a credit to your department!
December 6, 2007 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oldglory (anonymous) says...
As DanniD said, "WOW"!!
I sort of sighed when I logged, thinking another round of . . . the usual, but what a treat to read about the decent side of life for a change!
December 6, 2007 at 8:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
oldglory: my sentiments exactly. this young man is a hero.
December 6, 2007 at 8:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
If the baby had died, would you all have posted here blaming god and saying there was a devil on Campbell's shoulder? Really, I'm just curious why only positive things are attributed to god and his omnipotence but bad things aren't.
Glad the little guy pulled through and that Officer Campbell and his training were on the scene.
December 6, 2007 at 9:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
prosperous_hb (anonymous) says...
Officer Campbell, God bless your for saving an life. Job well done!
December 6, 2007 at 9:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
proudmomma (anonymous) says...
Great job Officer Campbell!
December 6, 2007 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lovewine2 (anonymous) says...
Be encouraged folks! See, the world is not all bad. There is hope for us all. Believe that there are more folks such as the officer in this world than the ones who shame God and man. God bless you officer Campbell! Something good is in store for you!
December 6, 2007 at 9:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Girleygirl (anonymous) says...
Good job David Campbell!! I
December 6, 2007 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ccreech (anonymous) says...
"Cid95" - If the baby had died, would you all have posted here blaming god and saying there was a devil on Campbell's shoulder? Really, I'm just curious why only positive things are attributed to god and his omnipotence but bad things aren't."
Because God and everything he created is Good. Hatred and evil is only love going in the wrong direction.
I held a 2 lb baby in my hand before and it scared me just to change his diaper. I couldn't imagine breathing life into him. Way to go Officer Campbell!!!
December 6, 2007 at 9:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mizzmadison (anonymous) says...
Good Job Officer Campbell !
December 6, 2007 at 10:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TarNFeatherEm (anonymous) says...
Thank You "allwoman" Well Said!!
December 6, 2007 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TarNFeatherEm (anonymous) says...
Great Job Officer Campbell!
December 6, 2007 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
da9 (anonymous) says...
Neat! What a wonderful story and a blessing that the baby and his mother are doing just fine. What a great job and heroic act of humanity. I'm glad there are heroes like Ofc. Campbell around with quick thinking and a huge heart.
December 6, 2007 at 11:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Grandoaksgoon (anonymous) says...
I feel safe with guys like Campbell on the force!
December 6, 2007 at 11:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DanniD (anonymous) says...
Cid 95, what is with all the negativity? So are you saying the next time there is a story where someone dies, we are suppose to thank god for that? Thank god that baby was beaten, thank god that bank got robbed? GEEZ...
December 6, 2007 at 12:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChrisPia (anonymous) says...
You Did a Great Job Officer Campbell.You are a credit to Officers Nationwide and Your Department.Keep up the Great Work and Be Safe!
December 6, 2007 at 2:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SomeTruthPlease (anonymous) says...
There should be no posts of any negativity on this subject at any time...if this is not proof enough that good does exist, that everyone has a guardian angel ( I would think the Johnson's angel came in the form of Officer Campbell), we all need to do a little soul-searching. I pray that the baby will do well...I think that he's destined to be...what a rough start, but all of those lives were touched that day.
December 6, 2007 at 3:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Perspective (anonymous) says...
Was this story on the front page of the paper?
Did it have the headline?
The officer did a wonderful job - "OFFICER SAVES BABY".
Where would the newspaper have put this story if he had smarted off at someone? What if the guy he tasered died? It would be the headline of the P&C for a week.
The newspaper, reporters, and public should remember that many good police officers quit the job due to the ridiculous scrutiny they sometimes receive. What if Officer Campbell was one of those officers who leaves due to BS scrutiny? What if he wasn't there that night? What if the officer that had replaced him was a slacker and took ONE extra minute to respond to this call?
Remember this story the next time you read a negative front page story about cops.
Great job Officer Campbell!
December 6, 2007 at 4:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ForPnC (anonymous) says...
Great job Officer Campbell!
December 6, 2007 at 5:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
Awesome job, Officer Campbell. God bless you, sir.
Hang in there, little guy, you had a rough entry into this world, and your mom sure does have a story tell about your birth.
December 6, 2007 at 6 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
Thanks for the reasonable answer to a reasonable question, Allwoman. So, basically, it's "focus on the positives" - which is indeed a good way of looking at things.
December 6, 2007 at 7:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ArrBee (anonymous) says...
Twas a great job no doubt, but it reminds me of a definition from the web site http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/God...
#36:ARGUMENT FROM INCOMPLETE DEVASTATION
(1) A plane crashed killing 143 passengers and crew.
(2) But one child survived with only third-degree burns.
(3) Therefore, God exists.
December 6, 2007 at 7:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
preachlove (anonymous) says...
Job well done, Officer Campbell. May God greatly bless you and your family as you have blessed this family.
December 6, 2007 at 10:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lynnusc85 (anonymous) says...
This story is so touching, in my opinion, it should gain national attention, good job, Officer Campbell!!
December 6, 2007 at 11:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SunnyCampbell (anonymous) says...
I am Officer Campbell's wife. He is quite shy so I am responding for our family. We appreciate all of your comments and support very much. David really doesn't understand why all the attention. He has been in law enforcement for many years and feels this is part of his job. As for naming the baby after him, we are just thankful Ms. Johnson was able to name him at all. We can asure you all we will be involved in Jeramiah's life as long as his family will let us. Bless you all and thank you very much again.
December 12, 2007 at 6:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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