4-month-old Laker Carlson’s day started like any other until, without warning, he stopped breathing. Born twelve weeks premature with a condition known as Spina Bifida, little Laker had been doing well, living at home on oxygen, when the unthinkable happened.
When his mother noticed the unthinkable – that Laker had stopped breathing – she called for help in a panic. Swiftly, emergency responders were alerted and hurried to the Carlson’s home, praying to make it in time to save the child’s life. Upon arrival, paramedics found the situation even direr than anticipated: Laker wasn’t just not breathing, he was pulseless.
Deputy Jonte Slack recalls the heart-wrenching scene, stating, “When I got there, there was no pulse. He was not breathing, and there were no signs of life.”
Jonte, with training and a determination to save Laker’s life, started performing CPR on the tiny, lifeless body. After a few long, agonizing moments of compressions, Laker’s signs of life finally returned with gurgles and fusses. Breath had returned to his body, marking a crucial turning point in the ordeal.
Meanwhile, Matthew Carlson, Laker’s father, was enduring the fear and helplessness of a harrowing 30-minute drive home, praying fervently for divine intervention. Upon arrival, the relief and joy were profound. He shared, “He is definitely our miracle baby. He is so precious.”
The heart-stopping event, captured on body cam footage, showed the urgency and importance of every second in such life-threatening situations. The paramedics’ swift actions, coupled with the family’s faith, ensured that a potential tragedy became a story of miraculous revival instead.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17
