On 29 December 1993, Yonkers police captain Joseph Barca responded to a call which involved a 2-month-old girl who was not breathing.
Barca was the first to arrive on the scene, according to Yonkers police, and was credited with saving the life of the Palestinian-American girl, Shammarah Hamideh, by clearing her airway and performing CPR. He reportedly even continued CPR in the back seat of a car on the way to the hospital.
Barca told 1010 WINS: "As we were approaching the hospital, I could feel the baby starting to come back to life. Any time you can save a life it's a great feeling, but this was very crucially a little 2-month-old baby."
Thankfully, Hamidah made a full recovery, and recently graduated from nursing school. Twenty years later, she has invited Barca and his wife to her wedding.
Barca remained close with Hamideh's family after the incident, and says that her father has always referred to him as her American dad.
Barca, who has served with Yonkers police for 45 years this September, told reporter Carol D'Auria: "He said he gave her life the first time, and I gave her life the second time."