Mary Schwarz Revives 8-Month-Old Infant With CPR at Arizona Post Office

Q: How did a routine trip to an Arizona post office become a heart-stopping race against time to save an unresponsive infant?

A routine visit turned into a life-or-death emergency when Kylie Vega brought her 8-month-old daughter, Nova, to the Clifton, Arizona, post office and the baby suddenly went limp and stopped breathing. According to reports from Clifton police and local coverage, USPS retail associate Mary Schwarz noticed something was wrong when Vega paused at the counter to tend to the unusually quiet infant. Schwarz, a former nurse, saw that Nova looked limp and slightly blue, rushed from behind the counter, checked for a pulse and breathing, and found none. She immediately began infant CPR and, after hearing that the baby may have vomited or been choking, also used back thrusts to try to clear the airway. Police Lt. Shari Aguilar arrived within moments and assisted as Schwarz continued lifesaving care. With time critical, Aguilar chose not to wait for an ambulance. With the mother’s permission, she drove the infant and Schwarz to a nearby clinic in her patrol vehicle, lights and sirens on, while Schwarz kept performing chest compressions and back thrusts in the front seat. About halfway to the clinic, Nova began taking breaths again and regained some color before medical staff took over. She was later transferred to Banner – University Medical Center in Tucson. The episode underscored why CPR training matters: Schwarz said her healthcare background allowed her to act immediately in the seconds that made the difference.

1 articles · Updated · USPS · Aug 21

Clifton, Arizona, retail associate Mary Schwarz performed CPR on 8-month-old Nova after the infant became unresponsive while her mother was mailing a package at the post office.
Schwarz, a former nurse with 13 years of experience, said she found no pulse and began CPR while trying to clear the baby's airway.
A police officer responding to a 911 call took Schwarz and the infant to a nearby clinic, where Nova began breathing on her own before medical staff took over.
Schwarz said the episode underscored the value of CPR training, especially for emergencies involving children, choking or pool accidents.