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QUEENS WEEKLY, FEB. 3, 2019
Jackson Hts. cops
save toddler’s life
Police Officers David Rodriguez and Ricardo Richards helped
save the life of a toddler who stopped breathing in Corona.
Courtesy of NYPD News
BY BILL PARRY
Two cops from the
115th Precinct in Jackson
Heights are being called
heroes after they saved
the life of a young boy
last week.
Police Officers Ricardo
Richards and David Rodriguez
were on routine
patrol in Corona Jan. 23
when they were flagged
down by a family in distress
on Northern Boulevard
near 104th Street,
according to the NYPD.
The parents said their
son Alexander Ramirez
had stopped breathing
around 2 p.m. The officers
took the 2-year-old
boy into their squad car
along with his mother and
grandmother and Officer
Rodriguez began to perform
Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation as Richards
sped toward Elmhurst
Hospital Center.
Alexander was still
unconscious when they
arrived at the hospital but
the emergency room staff
resuscitated the child
minutes later.
“It was the best feeling
to know that he was okay,”
Rodriguez told reporters
back at the precinct. “I’m
very thankful I was there
for that. To be able to rescue
a life means more to
me than anything.”
It was the first time
either officer helped save
a life and the two were
working together for
the first time after both
of their partners called
out sick, according to
the NYPD.
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at
bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
Celebrating ‘warrior princess’
Glendale family honors daughter’s valiant battle with cancer
BY JENNA BACAL
Mark Pearson wants
people to remember his
daughter Brooke beyond
her cancer.
“She was extremely
thoughtful, especially for
her friends,” Pearson said.
“She stood up to bullies.
She stood up for her friends
that were being bullied.
That’s why we called her
‘warrior princess’ — not
because of this. This was
thrust upon her. Everything
else she did was because
of who she was.”
More than eight months
after Brooke was diagnosed
with Leptomeningeal Disease
(LMD), the 14-yearold
PS/IS 119 student died
Jan. 28 in her family home
in Glendale.
“She loved life and she
didn’t deserve a fraction
of what she went through,”
Pearson said.
On Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, the
Pearsons held a “Celebration
of Life” in lieu of a funeral.
“So we’re not looking for
anybody to be dressed up
in, you know, formal black
and ties,” Pearson said.
Instead, attendees were
asked to don colorful and
comfortable clothes in honor
of Brooke, including the
signature “Team Brooki”
shirts that many bought to
raise money for the teen.
“If people came across
and met her and knew her
they would know that she
was never the dress type.
She was always down to
earth, always wearing
jeans and comfortable
clothes,” her father said.
Pearson shared that
their strong support systems
on social media and in
person have been integral
in getting them through
their difficult journey,
“It’s been instrumental
in trying to keep our
sanity. People have been
sharing that they’re going
through some similar experiences.
Most of it was
people reaching out to help.
We had people fundraising
for us, people dropping off
food, willing to do errands
for us, food shopping, you
name it. The outpouring
was amazing both local
Brooke Pearson Courtesy of Mark Pearson
and abroad,” he said.
He added that their
“large family” in England
has also helped raise funds
for the Pearsons all the way
across the pond.
While their experience
is something that Pearson
hopes no parents ever have
to go through, the father
and president of the 104th
Precinct Civilian Observation
Patrol (GCOP) hopes
to help others who are in a
similar position.
Since they posted
the latest update about
Brooke on the Team
Brooki Facebook page,
Pearson said that many
people battling the same
cancer have reached out for
information and support.
“I’ve gotten more people
reaching out to me that are
faced with the disease now
that she was faced with,
also running into the same
obstacles of there not being
enough information out
there,” he said.
His wish is to help others
by collecting information
about each person he
speaks to, including their
“stumbling blocks” and
sharing their own experiences
in order to help people
through their journeys.
For more information
and updates, visit the Team
Brooki Facebook page .
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by e-mail at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone at
(718) 224-5863 ext. 214.
She stood up to bullies
... That’s why we called
her ‘warrior princess’ —
not because of this. ...
Everything else she did was
because of who she was.
Mark Pearson
/qns.com
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