the fort huachuca - MediaSpan

4A
The Scout
By Jennifer Caprioli
Staff Writer
About a month ago Staff Sgt. Daniel Arizmandi, a drummer for the
36th Army Band, was heading to his mailbox with his dog, Vato, at his
side, when he heard yelling.
“As I’m closing the mailbox, I hear a lady screaming hysterically,” he
explained. “At first it sounded like someone was just playing around, but
then it started sounding serious.”
As the young sergeant turned his head, he saw a woman running toward
him holding a baby.
The baby, 1-year-old Blanca Amill, was choking.
“She [the mother] handed me the baby,” he explained, describing her
feeling more “wet teddy bear” than an infant.
“Her head just hung and she was foaming [at the mouth] a little bit,”
he noted.
Arizmandi began administering the Heimlich maneuver, which, he
explained he had learned to do through first aid training in the Army.
“Then I switched to the baby [version],” he said, noting he had never
received training on how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation to
a child. “I think I picked it up from watching the news,” he added.
After about three minutes and still no response, he still continued.
Meanwhile, Vato was contributing by standing next to Blanca’s mom,
Georgina Amill, and comforting her.
He noted Blanca was hiccupping and crying, and coming in and phasing
out for about five minutes, until the ambulance showed up.
“She had come to by then,” he explained.
He says as he handed the baby off the ambulance personnel he began
to feel the aftermath of an adrenaline rush.
Later that night the family knocked on his door to thank their baby’s
THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2010
oldier was in right place at right time
Sgt. MarC elliS
From left, Col. Timothy Faulkner, Fort Huachuca garrison commander; Rafael Amill; Staff Sgt.
Daniel Arizmandi, 36th Army Band drummer; Blanca Amill; Georgina Amill; and Chief Warrant
Officer 2 Donna Clickner, 36th Army Band conductor, pose for a photo following an award presentation
for Arizmandi, April 29. About a month ago, the Soldier saved Blanca’s life by administering
cardiopulmonary resuscitation to her while she was choking.
hero. Georgina was finally calm enough to explain to Arizmandi what
happened.
“The baby started choking on a piece of food and when that happened
she fell, which put her in shock,” he explained, noting that Blanca looked
healthy and she was laughing when they stopped by that night.
See RIGHT PLACE, Page 11A