Shelby Township Police respond quickly to rescue 1-year-old who suffocates

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Shelby Township family is traumatized but also grateful after quick-responding Shelby Township police officers immediately stepped in to save a 1-year-old child who choked on cereal.

On Thursday afternoon, the Doroslovic family was enjoying their day and nothing was out of the ordinary. Lisa Doroslovic’s grandson, Mateo Pearson, was enjoying his favorite cereal, Lucky Charms, when the family noticed he was breathing irregularly, turning blue and then unresponsive.

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“I grabbed him, hit him on the back and pointed my finger, but I didn’t feel anything,” Doroslovic said.

The whole family panicked. They called the Shelby Township police, who arrived about two minutes after the call.

Shelby Township Police Department

“Definitely very scary,” said Shelby Township Police Lt. Mark Benedettini. “Our department is constantly training for this.”

Officers performed life-saving measures, including CPR. The Shelby Township Fire Department arrived on scene shortly afterward and determined the child had a pulse before transporting him to the hospital.

“Our police department as well as the Utica Police Department closed several intersections for the ambulance to speed up the trip to the hospital,” Benedettini said. “I’m sure the intersection closures contributed to the increase in traffic out here, especially in the afternoon it’s really crazy.”

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According to his family, medical staff at the hospital found a marshmallow stuck in Mateo’s throat. Parts of the marshmallow got into his lungs.

He was intubated and taken to the neonatal intensive care unit. Mateo is now responsive, breathing independently and back to normal. The family attributes Mateo’s recovery to the quick intervention of the police and firefighters.

Lisa Doroslovic

“Seconds can change your life. A marshmallow could have taken my grandson away from me,” said Doroslovic. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I don’t have the words to express this to you.”

The family and police hope this story serves as a reminder to residents to get certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

“This shows how important it is to know CPR and know how to perform it on someone,” Benedettini said. “It was truly a team effort that saved this baby’s life and, as I said, it’s a great ending to a difficult story.”