By Jon Johnson
CLIFTON — What started as an ordinary Saturday morning at the Clifton Post Office quickly turned into a life-saving emergency on July 11 when a former registered nurse turned postal clerk sprang into action to revive an 8-month-old baby girl.
According to Clifton Police Chief Omar Negrete, dispatch received a 911 call at approximately 11:12 a.m. reporting an infant who was not breathing at the post office location. Within 30 seconds, Lt. Shari Aguilar of the Clifton Police Department arrived on the scene, where post office clerk Mary Schwarz was already providing critical medical intervention.
Schwarz, a former registered nurse who worked in New Mexico before becoming a clerk in Clifton, recognized immediately that something was wrong when customer Kylie Vega stepped up to her window with her infant daughter, Nova.
“I was just helping out a customer, and she asked me to pause because she needed to tend to her baby,” Schwarz said. “That struck me as odd because her baby was very quiet… I had known this customer because I’ve been here for a while, and we knew that her baby was in and out of the hospital.”
When Vega lifted Nova out, Schwarz saw that the child looked limp and slightly blue.
“The mom’s like, ‘There’s something wrong with my baby.’ I just immediately went into healthcare worker mode,” Schwarz recalled. “I told her, ‘I’ll be right there.’ I grabbed the baby from her… I assessed the baby; there was no brachial pulse, there were no respirations. Baby was trying to move air, but it wasn’t working.”
Schwarz immediately initiated CPR. Hearing Vega mention during her 911 call that the infant might have vomited, Schwarz lifted Nova to perform back thrusts in case an obstruction was blocking her airway. Lt. Aguilar joined Schwarz to assist, using various positioning techniques to establish effective respirations.
Recognizing the infant was exhibiting agonal breathing and that time was critical, Lt. Aguilar made the fast decision — with Vega’s permission — to transport Nova immediately in her patrol vehicle rather than waiting for an incoming ambulance. Schwarz held Nova in the front passenger seat, continuing chest compressions and back thrusts as Lt. Aguilar drove with lights and sirens activated toward the emergency room.
En route, Medic Mary Baca advised via radio that emergency medical personnel would meet them directly in the ambulance bay. While in the patrol car, Schwarz’s continuous efforts paid off.
“About halfway through the Horseshoe, baby took a breath. (Then she) took another breath,” Schwarz said. “By the time we got to the ambulance bay, baby had a little bit of color in her chest… It was probably the scariest thing that I’ve ever done. I’ve taken care of sick people in the past, but I’ve never done it on my own without help in a situation like that.”
Upon arrival, Baca immediately took Nova inside for emergency stabilization before the child was airlifted to Banner – University Medical Center in Tucson.
A Courageous Battle with Congenital Heart Disease
For Kylie Vega and her husband, Rudy — a haul truck driver at Freeport-McMoRan — the harrowing medical emergency at the post office was part of an ongoing journey with little Nova, who was born with a congenital heart defect (CHD), missing a pulmonary artery, and requiring a G-tube for feedings.
While the family had already been preparing to travel to Tucson for planned open-heart surgery, the emergency brought them down a week early. Nova successfully underwent surgery on Tuesday, July 21, to repair a hole in her heart chambers.
“She is actually doing really well,” Kylie shared. “They fixed everything, and she actually still has her chest open right now. She was still a little too swollen for the doctor to close it up, so they’re giving it a few days to let her body calm down a little bit.”
Once Nova’s chest is closed and her surgical recovery stabilizes, the family looks forward to returning home to Clifton in the next couple of weeks after what has been a long and emotional road.
Reflecting on the terrifying moments at the post office, Kylie expressed overwhelming gratitude for Schwarz, Lt. Aguilar, and the emergency care team who stepped up when every second counted.
“I am extremely grateful that she was there that day. Everything happened so fast, and it was a lot,” Kylie said. “I can’t really think of much to say other than I am very grateful for all of them. They all treated her so well… I appreciate everything Mary did, the EMTs, everyone at the clinic, and the flight nurses. They were just all great, and if I could, I would thank them every day because without them—especially Mary—I don’t even want to think about what would have happened . . . It’s been crazy with this little girl, but she’s so loved and has a ton of support here and back at home.”
As for Schwarz, who used to teach CPR classes, muscle memory and pure instinct carried her through the ordeal.
“It happened so fast. I really didn’t have time to think,” Schwarz said. “I taught CPR for years, so it really was all just instinct at that point — muscle memory.”
