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Boy Scout honored for saving baby brother's life

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PHILADELPHIA, Penn. - Joseph McCabe will always remember July 20, 2005, as the day he saved the life of his baby brother Riley, who was then 9 months old.

Highlights

By Christie L. Chicoine
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
5/19/2006 (1 decade ago)

Published in Marriage & Family

Just three weeks before Riley accidentally swallowed a piece of tape he found on the floor, Joseph had learned the Heimlich maneuver and cardiopulmonary resuscitation through the Boy Scouts. "I thank them a lot, because they give you a lot of opportunities and teach you a lot of different skills," the 13-year-old said. For his heroics, Joseph was awarded a Boy Scouts of America merit medal following a recent Mass at St. Cecilia Church. When the accident occurred, Joseph was talking on the telephone with his mother, who had called home to check on the boys while she was awaiting a doctor's appointment at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Meadowbrook. Joseph threw down the phone and rushed to his baby brother. "His face was all red. I just did the Heimlich maneuver ... right away," he said. And up came the tape. "After it came out, he started laughing," Joseph said of Riley's reaction. Diane McCabe, the boys' mother, had called 911 immediately after she heard her oldest son throw down the phone. "Five minutes later, the fire department came," Joseph said. "We were kind of mad our mom called (them) because there was no reason." In fact, before the emergency personnel arrived, Joseph had finished examining his baby brother, picked him up and was walking him around the house. "Then we heard sirens," Joseph said. The emergency personnel who arrived at the McCabe house further examined little Riley, "but he was just laughing the whole time," Joseph said. The boys' father, Philadelphia police officer Joseph J. McCabe, 41, recalled what he saw when he arrived home. "When I got in the door, the fireman said, 'Slow down, he's fine. Joey took care of it,'" the father said. "We think he's a wonderful boy. He's a very good role model for the other boys. We really thank the Boy Scouts for what they taught him. He knew exactly what to do." Diane McCabe, 39, also applauded the courage and quickness of their eldest son. "He was certified in CPR, he was a Boy Scout - he was everything you would want in a baby sitter," she said. As Riley's godfather, Joseph, a seventh-grader at St. Cecilia's School, considers his chief responsibility "to take care of him." The family also includes brothers Greg, 11; Matt, 10; and now a new baby brother, Ryan, four months. Joseph said he enjoys teaching his little brothers about the Catholic faith, playing sports with them and "keeping them on track." The drama of Riley's accident reminded Joseph that "you shouldn't take life for granted, because things can happen in minutes." Instead, Joseph said, "You shouldn't think about what you want (in life), but what other people need - and how you should take care of other people."

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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