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(WPBN/WGTU) — This past week, a Traverse City firefighter was faced with what could have been a tragic situation, his own daughter stopped breathing, but thanks to something he knew and the help of fellow firefighters, they were able to save her.

Jeffrey Ballard was on the way to the hospital when his eight year old daughter became unconscious in the car, and he knew how he handled the next couple of minutes would be life changing.

“She said, ‘dad you know I’m having really hard time breathing, dad I can’t breathe’,” said TCFD firefighter and paramedic, Jeffrey Ballard.

His eight year old daughter suffers from asthma and started having complications last week.

Monday morning he began rushing her to Munson Medical Center, but they live 20 minutes away.

“At the halfway point, at that stop sign she went unconscious,” said Ballard. “Complete respiratory arrest, stopped breathing completely. “She said, ‘daddy, help me’ and then just slumped over.”

He knew she wouldn’t make it to the hospital, but luckily the Long Lake Township Fire Department was nearby.

“We were working, giving him as many hands as we could help support life functions, doing rescue breathing for her,” said Long Lake fire chief Andy Down.

Firefighters were able to get an ambulance there while Ballard focused on one thing.

“I got to keep her alive, I got to do what I need to do to keep her alive,” said Ballard.

He kept giving her CPR even in the ambulance.

“When they took over it wasn’t I got to do this, I got to do this,” said Ballard. “It was I got to breathe for her every three seconds. That was my whole mindset.”

He says saving his daughter was harder than anything he’s had to do at work, but his instincts from his training kicked in.

“I honestly don’t think I was calm but I had enough sense about me to get stuff done,” said Ballard.

“She’s already been back to the fire station and it’s always great to see the fruits of labor, a positive day that things end very well,” said Down.

Ballard’s daughter did have to spend a couple of days in the hospital but is back in school now.