A 15-month-old Glenrock toddler is alive today thanks to quick action from his grandmother and a neighbor.
The neighbor happens to also be a cop, and a firefighter
Glenrock Police Officer Shane Pierce said he serves as the school resource officer as well as a patrolman on day shift with work hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
He was preparing for bed when he heard a call go out on his fire department pager just after 9 p.m. on April 8 about a medical emergency.
He looked at the address.
“It is right next door,” Pierce said. “I have been neighbors with them for eight years and so I knew they had a baby.”
Pierce threw on his clothes and ran next door.
Just as he was reaching the front door, it opened. Alvin Lenzen was on his way to Pierce’s house for help.
Meanwhile, Alvin’s wife Kathryn Lenzen said that evening her grandson, Colton, started have seizures and couldn’t breathe.
While her daughter, Autumn Trullinger, called 911, Kathryn tried to do CPR on the toddler, but a seizure had locked Colton’s jaw and she couldn’t get a seal.
“I just held him on his side and was breathing in to his mouth as best I could,” she said. “And he finally started, like, very shallow breaths.”
When her husband went to get Pierce they found him already almost at their door and brought him up the stairs to where she had Colton.
Fast Actions
Pierce said he can’t remember if any words were spoken, but it looked to him like the boy was not breathing, so he took him and turned him upside down and gave him some soft back blows.
The boy vomited up material he was aspirating on.
“As soon as he did that, he started breathing, but he immediately went into seizures,” Pierce said.
He worked to keep Colton’s airway clear until emergency medical services arrived.
Lenzen said Pierce was also able to calm the boy’s body and he came out of the seizure.
Once at the house, EMS transported Colton to Banner Wyoming Medical Center where Lenzen said he suffered another seizure. He was then put on a flight to Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, Colorado.
Lenzen said the boy spent the next five days there being treated and evaluated.
Hospitals staff had praise for their quick actions in saving Colton.
“They said the efforts that Shane and myself had given my grandson is what saved his life, because we got him to where he did not go without oxygen for too long to cause any brain damage or organ damage,” Lenzen said.
The incident was the first seizure the boy ever had, Lenzen said. The family was given medication for the child to help prevent them in the future.
Lenzen agreed that having Pierce as a neighbor provides their neighborhood with an important resource.
City Recognition
Pierce was honored at the Glenrock City Council meeting on Monday for his efforts.
Glenrock Chief of Police Colter Felton said Pierce’s action reflect well on Pierce and the department.
“This incident demonstrated the commitment our officers have to the community,” he said. “Even when no one expected him to, Officer Pierce chose to put others before himself.
"This aligns perfectly with the values of our department and deserves recognition.”
As a cop in the neighborhood, Pierce said he has tried to be outgoing and get to know as many people as possible.
Pierce said he arrived at Glenrock eight years ago after serving as a police officer in Missouri for 11 years.
As a police officer and firefighter, he has performed CPR on adults several times, but this was his first time dealing with a toddler in a crisis situation.
Responding to Colton’s situation was “scary,” and Pierce said he appreciates the family coming to the council meeting as he was read the recognition for his efforts.
Even so, Pierce said he feels that he just did what he knew to do with this first-aid training.
“For me, it definitely wasn’t expected,” he said. “They’re great people and I just wanted to be there to help them. That’s really it.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
