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Directed by new dad Michael Jackson to a second-floor bathroom where his wife had just given birth shortly before 3 a.m., Officers Roberto Cangialosi and Michael Mueller detected a heartbeat.
Aleksandra "Sasha" Jackson had told them she “woke up with some pain in her back and abdomen” and “went into the bathroom thinking she was possibly suffering from minor intestinal pains,” Cangialosi said.
Then the baby’s head crowned.
Cangialosi said he and Mueller “began cleaning off the baby and wrapped him in a warm, clean towel.
“We used a suction device to help clear the baby’s airway and ensure he was able to breath properly.”
At that point, the newborn “became responsive, opened his eyes and let out a small cry,” the officer said.
They then had the father dial up Hackensack University Medical Center EMC for a walk-through over the phone on tying off the umbilical cord -- using a clean shoelace.
Paramedics were there moments later, and both mother and newborn – named Nico -- were taken to the hospital.
Four days later, the officers returned to the family’s Wesmont Station home in less of a hurry. They had gifts for baby Nico and his brother, Luca.
Luca "even got to sit in the police car pushing the sirens and strobes while we thankfully laughed about everything that went down," their dad said.
Jackson thanked Cangialosi and Mueller for their professionalism, kindness and good humor, "which kept us calm in a situation where we went into shock.
"We had absolutely no plans for a home birth, but everything happens for a reason," he said. "To have police officers like these two made Nico's arrival that much more special."
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