What started as a routine stop for gas suddenly turned into a life-or-death situation for Corporal Lee Higginbotham of the Dallas VA Police Department.

Higginbotham was refueling his patrol vehicle at a QuikTrip, a local gas station, when a crowd of panicked bystanders called out for help. In the middle of the group was a small child around 2 years old, struggling to breathe and growing visibly weaker by the second.

Relying on his training, Higginbotham stepped in immediately. He recognized that the child was choking and performed the Heimlich maneuver, working quickly and carefully until a foreign object was expelled from the child’s airway. Relief swept through the crowd as the boy’s breathing returned, and the color began to come back to his face.

“I just did what anyone in my position would hope to do,” Corporal Higginbotham said. “I’m grateful I was in the right place at the right time and able to help.”

Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedics arrived moments later, checked the child thoroughly and made sure he was safe to go home. Higginbotham stayed on scene until everyone was sure the child was okay.

Dallas VA Police Chief Michael Dvorak praised Higginbotham’s actions: “His quick thinking and compassion truly made all the difference. We’re proud to have officers like him protecting not just our VA campus and the Veterans that we serve, but the whole community.”