Fort Worth deputy saves 2-year-old girl during medical emergency

A Fort Worth mother got the chance to thank the man in person who saved her 2-year-old daughter's life.

Earlier this month, the little girl had a seizure and stopped breathing as her mother was rushing her to an urgent care for help. A chance encounter with a Tarrant County sheriff's deputy helped save her.

The last time Deputy Robert Gallardo saw 2-year-old Elena, she wasn’t breathing.

“I noticed she was lifeless,” he recalled. “I could tell she wasn’t breathing because her stomach wasn’t moving.”

Diana Lopez and her mother were taking Elena to see a doctor because she had a fever which makes her susceptible to seizures. It’s happened twice before, but never like this.

“I know you don’t feel like a hero, but you are a hero,” Lopez told Gallardo. “God placed him in the exact moment and the exact time we needed.”

Gallardo is on the department's new bike team. It’s part of the sheriff’s initiative to increase the department’s presence downtown.

“God placed everybody in a certain position to help save my baby,” said Adam Lopez, Elena’s father. “I feel like I owe my life to God now.”

It’s been almost a couple of weeks, and Thursday was the first time Gallardo has seen Elena since that day.

“It’s awesome just watching her walk around. It’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “I’m just glad I was there to help. Just look at that little small life.”