‘He was dead’: Lincoln mom saves newborn son’s life with CPR

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Lincoln mother shared the story of when she saved her son’s life with CPR.

Moriah Gaddis’ son Arthur was born at 35 weeks last November. He spent a little over a week in the NICU at Bryan Health.

Gaddis, a nurse, asked to get a refresher on infant CPR before they took Arthur home from the hospital. She didn’t realize that around a month later, she’d have to use those skills on her newborn baby.

She was home with Arthur and had just fed him. Gaddis left him in his seat and walked to the kitchen.

“I heard a big cough, and it sounded like he spit up,” she said. “So I turned around, went right back and he was dead.”

Arther had stopped breathing. And Gaddis knew her son needed CPR.

She said instinct kicked in. She called 911 and started compressions.

“I am afraid that if I wasn’t a nurse and I didn’t ask for that CPR training, he wouldn’t be here,” Gaddis said. “And I’m so happy that he’s here.”

Gaddis revived her son. Arthur was rushed to the hospital.

Eventually, doctors discovered a cyst in his throat.

“It was the size of a blueberry,” Gaddis said. “And for an infant, that’s their entire airway.”

Arther had surgery to make sure the cyst won’t grow back.

Gaddis now hopes their story can encourage other parents to learn infant CPR.

“You hope you never have to use it, but you’re so happy if you do,” she said. “Because if something were to happen to my child and I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how I could cope.”

Bryan Health holds infant CPR classes for people who are interested.