By Jenny Farley

The American Red Cross honored Pennsylvania State Police Trooper John Finkbiner with the Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders at a ceremony on October 17, 2024.

Trooper Finkbiner saved a one-year-old baby named Carter from choking when he responded to a call on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Upper Dublin Township on May 25th.

“I got a call that it was a baby not breathing,” Trooper Finkbiner said.

Trooper Finkbiner is a certified Pennsylvania State Police American Red Cross instructor in First Aid, CPR and AED. He teaches the very skills that helped him save Carter.

Lynn Cohen, the executive director for the American Red Cross Delaware Valley Chapter, presented Trooper Finkbiner with the award at the State Police Station in King of Prussia, in front of Carter and his grateful parents and grandparents.

“I’m so honored to get to do the Lifesaving Awards because it means so much. It shows that our training in action works in saving lives,” Lynn said.

Carter is the youngest of John and Malorie McLaughlin’s four sons. In May, Malorie was driving with her two oldest children when Carter started choking on a goldfish cracker in his car seat. Her five-year-old son Graham alerted her that something was wrong.

“I was driving. He was facing backwards. I couldn’t see him. There was an emergency turnoff. I pulled over and got him out,” Malorie said through tears.

“By the time I got to him he wasn’t breathing.” Malorie called 911 on speaker phone and started back thrusts and CPR, fighting to save her baby.

“There were a couple of times he had gasped, but he was not responding,” she said.

Trooper Finkbiner said when the call came over the radio he was nearby and got there quickly. He relied on his Red Cross and police training to do what came next.

“I had to do a quick assessment based on what I saw from him. He was blue lipped. He was pale. He was ashen. My immediate thought was ‘this isn’t good,’ but I was there. I had to do a job. And I just started everything.”

Trooper Finkbiner worked to clear Carter’s mouth and airway and when he turned him over to get ready for the next step, he said Carter “took a big gulp of air. And I went, ‘that’s what I wanted!’ Then he let out a big scream and I was like, ‘yeah! Keep screaming for me kiddo.’ Then his color started coming back.”

Retired State Police Sergeant Charles Mory nominated Trooper Finkbiner for the Lifesaving Award. Sergeant Mory is a Red Cross instructor who taught Trooper Finkbiner lifesaving skills as a cadet.

“The honor rests with John Finkbiner in turning these skills into a lifesaving effort. He can handle anything there is in the field,” he said.

When Carter’s mom Malorie was asked what Trooper Finkbiner meant to her family she said, “Everything. He came and showed up. I owe everything to him.”

Trooper Finkbiner acknowledged being a State Police Trooper can be dangerous and stressful. You don’t always get a happy ending.

He remembers staring at his badge after graduating from the police academy, preparing to protect and serve and thinking, “This is a big deal.” Along with his police service, getting married to his wife of 32 years, having his three children, and serving for 23 years in the U.S. Marine Corps where he deployed to Baghdad in 2003, Trooper Finkbiner counts saving Carter as one of the top five moments of his life.

“We got the job done.” He looked over at Carter in his mom’s arms. “Long life ahead. That’s what I’m happy about.”

In January, he will retire from the Pennsylvania State Police after 23 years.

“It’s like the icing on the cake,” he said. “This tops it for me. I wouldn’t want to end it any other way,” he said.