It was back on Father's Day when two families, unaware of one another, were celebrating by going out for dinner.

That's when fate took over.

What You Need To Know


  • Back on Father's Day a 3-month-old baby stopped breathing inside of a restaurant

  • A Fort Drum soldier came to offer help and after administering the Heimlich, the baby began to breathe again

  • The two families have grown a bond that will now last a lifetime

One soldier's family heard another's scream for help. A 3-month-old baby had stopped breathing.

Since that soldier came to the rescue, these two families now have a bond that will last forever.

"When I sat down to take her out of her outfit is when she stopped breathing," Captain Susan Chiarella said.

Chiarella remembers it was hot inside that restaurant. Although, she's still not quite sure exactly what happened. She found herself holding her baby, Reagan, who had suddenly stopped breathing.

She and her husband, both Fort Drum soldiers, scared out of their minds, tried to swipe Reagan's mouth clear, when a fellow soldier from another table rushed over and offered to help.

"I asked her to give me her daughter. I took her daughter, and I flipped her over and began the Heimlich for like 15-20 seconds or so," 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade 2nd Lieutenant Shawn Sutter said.

Sutter says he then noticed a breath and the baby's face, which had turned purple, was losing that color. He then turned to Susan Chiarella and said, 'Everything is going to be OK.'

"Heroes save people and he saved her. Without him, I honestly don't think she'd be here," Susan Chiarella said.

"This beautiful little girl, she's going to get an opportunity to continue growing and learning. It was humbling and warming for me, beautiful girl," Sutter added.

"We're both really grateful for Lieutenant Sutter and what he did on that day," said Capt. Joseph Chiarella, Reagan's father.

That day, again, Father's Day, with Sutter himself a father.

These two families now forever holding this special bond.

"After words we just started talking to him and kind of just built this relationship with him you might want to say," Joseph Chiarella said.

"Every Father's Day that comes up, we'll go back to that 21st of 2020. Oh my God, I'll never forget that," Sutter said.

Sutter was pinned with an award from his Brigade Thursday at this reunion.

His command, his colleagues, everyone simply proud of this hero.