A Breath of Life on the Highway: How a Local Hero Gave a Baby a Second Chance

You know, life has this funny way of turning on a dime, doesn't it? One moment, you’re just driving along, a quiet Tuesday in December, perhaps thinking about holiday plans or the usual errands. And then, suddenly, everything changes. For Cody Smith and Tiffany Shifflett, that change came with the terrifying sight of their two-month-old daughter, Emma Rose, choking, turning an alarming shade of blue.

It was December, somewhere along Interstate 64, near mile marker 115 — a spot outside Charlottesville that will forever be etched in their memories. They were on their way to a pediatrician's appointment, a routine trip, when Emma Rose, their tiny baby, began to struggle for air. The kind of struggle that makes a parent's heart lurch, a chilling, silent panic taking hold. In that harrowing instant, every second stretched into an eternity.

Pulled over onto the shoulder of I-64, they were, understandably, beside themselves. Frantic, Tiffany called 911, her voice likely trembling with fear and urgency. Their desperate plea for help reached Cpl. Ryan Shiflett of the Albemarle County Police, who, for once, happened to be closer than anyone could have hoped. And just like that, the universe, or perhaps fate, put the right person in the right place at precisely the right moment.

Cpl. Shiflett arrived, lights flashing, to a scene no parent ever wants to face. Without a second thought, really, he sprang into action. He knew what had to be done: a few precise back blows, then gentle but firm chest thrusts, exactly as the training dictates for an infant. It’s a delicate balance, a swift, practiced series of movements designed to dislodge whatever obstruction is stealing a tiny life’s breath. And it worked.

And just like that — honestly, it must have felt like an eternity, but it was mere moments — Emma Rose began to breathe again. Her little face, which had been so frightfully blue, started to flush with pink. A collective gasp of relief, I imagine, swept over that small roadside gathering. Emergency medical services soon arrived, whisking Emma Rose to UVA Medical Center, but the immediate danger, that terrifying, suffocating moment, had passed.

She was discharged a few days later, healthy and whole, thanks to Cpl. Shiflett’s decisive intervention. The Smiths, understandably, were overflowing with gratitude, declaring him nothing short of a hero, an angel. And truly, who could argue with that? Ask Cpl. Shiflett about it, and he’ll tell you it was simply “part of the job,” a testament to the training he’d received. But, you know, it’s moments like these that truly define what it means to serve and protect, pushing past the routine to face the dire and deliver hope.

Still, the department saw it differently, and rightly so, awarding him a Lifesaving Commendation. It’s a small token, perhaps, for saving a life, but a significant recognition of courage and competence. A testament, truly, to a day when routine turned heroic, and a little life was given back its breath, all thanks to quick thinking and a steady hand.