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Boy, 8, reunited with first responders who saved his life during COVID-19-related cardiac arrest

Boy, 8, reunited with first responders that saved his life during COVID-19-related cardiac arrest
Posted at 9:08 AM, May 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-13 10:53:25-04

NEW YORK — After winning a hard-fought battle with COVID-19, an 8-year-old boy from Queens met the firefighters who helped save his life.

Firefirghters helped save the life of 8-year-old Jayden Hardowar, and on Tuesday, they got to meet him again.

“It’s a bit emotional," Engine 294 firefighter Thomas Gonzales said. "I have an 8-year-old daughter. To see this young patient and knowing they’ll be OK is a happy story. It’s very moving. This is our job. We’re here to help and we’re here to make a difference.”

Gonzalez said when Hardowar was ill, the FDNY got a call for a pediatric cardiac arrest.

When first responders arrived, they administered rescue breaths and CPR and used an AED to shock the child.

Paramedics from Jamaica Hospital then arrived on scene and took Jayden to the hospital.

"Everything worked out," Gonzales said. "It's a good thing to see after all the death we have seen the past few months. We're all in this together and taking care of each other."

The reunion included Jayden, Gonzales, and members of Engine 294, Ladder 143, Battalion 51, Division 13 and the NYPD.

This story was originally published by Corey Crockett on WPIX in New York.