On June 1 2019 a group of firefighters were called in to resuscitate two-week-old Bronlyn-Lee Jansen. Two weeks after successfully reviving the baby against all odds, the group visited the healthy little bundle of joy.
A tearful reunion was had with the baby and her mom when the firefighters came to their home to check in on the baby and perform one more act of kindness.
The baby’s mother had rushed her daughter to the fire station for help when the baby had stopped breathing and had started turning blue.
The firefighters had jumped into action, clearing mucus from the infant’s airways and administering oxygen, and after several tense minutes, Bronlyn-Lee started crying and regaining her natural colour.
“Usually, we don’t have good results on babies. We try our utmost and give our utmost support and expertise to the patient, and this time we were lucky to revive this baby. So there’s a good ending to this story,” said firefighter Alroy Pieterse.
Pieterse’s colleague, Liesl George initiated the follow-up visit.
“I just had to see her, alive and kicking, because when they left the station, we never heard from them again, and I just had to see her. And I went to their house, and then the mom came out and she [Bronlyn-Lee] was all pink and dressed up and she looked so cute,” said George.
She was in for a pleasant surprise; firefighter George had rallied together her colleagues and contacts to bring in baby clothes and products for little Bronlyn-Lee.
“These selfless acts where staff members go above and beyond the call of duty fill me with immense pride, because it embodies the spirit of safety and security, which is to serve and protect our residents. I applaud the actions of the staff members, not only in saving the life of little Bronlyn-Lee, but also the added joy they’ve brought to her and her family through their kind-heartedness,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Pictures: The City of Cape Town