{"id":13941,"date":"2016-05-02T14:10:33","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T14:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=13941"},"modified":"2016-05-02T14:10:33","modified_gmt":"2016-05-02T14:10:33","slug":"michigan-firefighter-saves-own-daughters-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=13941","title":{"rendered":"Michigan firefighter saves own daughter’s life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Read the full story HERE\u203a\u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

(WPBN\/WGTU<\/a>) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said, \u2018dad you know I\u2019m having really hard time breathing, dad I can\u2019t breathe\u2019,\u201d said TCFD firefighter and paramedic, Jeffrey Ballard.<\/p>\n

His eight year old daughter suffers from asthma and started having complications last week.<\/p>\n

Monday morning he began rushing her to Munson Medical Center, but they live 20 minutes away.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the halfway point, at that stop sign she went unconscious,\u201d said Ballard. \u201cComplete respiratory arrest, stopped breathing completely. \u201cShe said, \u2018daddy, help me\u2019 and then just slumped over.\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew she wouldn\u2019t make it to the hospital, but luckily the Long Lake Township Fire Department was nearby.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were working, giving him as many hands as we could help support life functions, doing rescue breathing for her,\u201d said Long Lake fire chief Andy Down.<\/p>\n

Firefighters were able to get an ambulance there while Ballard focused on one thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got to keep her alive, I got to do what I need to do to keep her alive,\u201d said Ballard.<\/p>\n

He kept giving her CPR even in the ambulance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they took over it wasn\u2019t I got to do this, I got to do this,\u201d said Ballard. \u201cIt was I got to breathe for her every three seconds. That was my whole mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

He says saving his daughter was harder than anything he\u2019s had to do at work, but his instincts from his training kicked in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI honestly don\u2019t think I was calm but I had enough sense about me to get stuff done,\u201d said Ballard.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s already been back to the fire station and it\u2019s always great to see the fruits of labor, a positive day that things end very well,\u201d said Down.<\/p>\n

Ballard\u2019s daughter did have to spend a couple of days in the hospital but is back in school now.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"