Baby started turning purple after breathing in formula — then parents who tried CPR made a life-changing call to save him

The parents were panicking after CPR didn't work, and thanks to a call and a swift response, their baby was saved.

PUBLISHED MAY 4, 2025

(L) Uncomfortable infant wailing uncontrollably. (R) Worried parents attending to an infant. (Representative Cover Image Source: (L) Unsplash | Brytny; (R) Pexels | RDNE Stock Project)

Parents become extra cautious after the arrival of newborns. From the way they hold their little ones to prepare for their growth and development, parents do everything with careful attention to detail. Also, one important thing they look out for while dealing with a newborn is the feeding process. The child’s posture must be correct while eating because digestion can take place only after that. With a fragile internal system, mishaps can happen, especially with infants. Unfortunately, for parents Ryan and Andrea Leydon, their 6-week-old Wyatt’s life was put in danger after he breathed formula he spat, per CBS News. When CPR didn’t work, the parents astutely made an intelligent call and saved their child’s life.

Infant frantically crying. (Representative Image Source: Shkraba Antoni) — Infant frantically crying. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Shkraba Antoni)

The parents recalled the night as the “worst night” of their lives. “It was awful, it was awful,” the mom remarked. Wyatt had unknowingly breathed the formula he spat out and started turning purple. He was reportedly aspirating. It happens when any food, liquid or saliva enters the airway, either the lungs or trachea, instead of going to the stomach, which affects breathing, per Stanford Medicine. It is common and can especially happen when a baby is asleep, due to saliva entering the airway instead of being swallowed. In Wyatt’s case, he had likely inhaled the formula he spat out instead of swallowing it, obstructing breathing.

Worried dad attending to sick infant. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by RDNE Stock Project)

The frantic parents were confused about what to do after seeing their child turning purple. Their initial instinct was to pat his back and perform CPR to help him breathe. "So I started doing that, it wasn't working, so then I started panicking," the mom recalled. With time ticking, the parents decided not to take any more chances on their own and quickly dialed 911 and asked for help. In no time, firefighters arrived on the scene to help the infant. "The amazing thing was they got there in four minutes. Getting to us so fast is what saved his life because we could never have gotten in the car and driven to a hospital when he was turning purple," Andrea noted.

Firefighters responding to emergency call. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Anna Shvets)

She added that the group practiced urgency and “didn’t even turn the engine off” before hurrying to the Leydons’ house. The parents did not wait for the responders to get in and met them halfway at the side of the apartment. The dad handed over Wyatt to the firefighters, and they immediately began providing life-saving help. "So they grabbed him and started suctioning his nose and his mouth, and what happened was fluid came out," the mom noted. Since the baby was aspirating, the fluid in his nose and mouth was all drained out, and “within a minute,” his color started getting back to normal and he began breathing.

As soon as the boy was stable, he was taken to a hospital for a further checkup. The medics suggested the parents thicken the formula being fed to the 6-week-old. The mom shared a post on Facebook after her son was back home. “Thank you to Woburn Fire for responding so quickly! We will forever be grateful to everyone who helped us get through this week.”