Real heroes don’t run around in a cape and tights. They don’t have utility belts, high tech gadgets, or laser vision. In fact, many of them have beer bellies, tattoos, and bald spots – regular, everyday people.
On a normal day at an IGA supermarket in Perth, Australia, a woman scurries towards the checkout aisle with a lifeless baby in her hands. This isn’t your typical cleanup on aisle five.
The distraught mother frantically shows the baby to a few customers and a nearby cashier, pleading for any bit of help she can get. A man in a tank top with tattoos across his arms and a woman in jean shorts console her as they quickly inspect the child.
Soon, the panicking mother hands them the baby and runs out of the store to fetch her husband, presumably waiting in the parking lot.
The frantic father, Michael Narkle, rushes into the supermarket with bewildered body language. He looks absolutely torn up when he sees his motionless daughter. He paces around hopelessly thinking of what to do next.
Members of the group are led to believe that she may be choking on something. They take turns trying to dislodge the item from the child’s esophagus by patting her on the back repeatedly with force and then attempting the Heimlich maneuver. The dad joins in, trying to help in any way he can.
Nothing seems to work, as baby Shaylar’s life begins to slip from their hands. Dad starts pacing around, taking a few moments to compose himself. He begins walking towards the exit doors with his hands on his head in despair.
Calm, cool, and collected under pressure, the man with the blue tank top proceeds to clear a checkout kiosk, laying the child on her back next to a shocked cashier. He proceeds to give her mouth-to-mouth and CPR.
Within a matter of moments, Shaylar returns to life. A wave of relief sweeps the entire supermarket.
The father gives a huge hug to his daughter’s tank top hero, local tradesman Rowan O’Neill. The woman in jean shorts appears to break down crying in relief as the two continue to embrace.
After Shaylar regains consciousness, the heroic customers notice that she’s overheated with fever. They proceed to fan her in an attempt to cool her off.
Mother Amy Collard gives her recollection of the events to local news, stating, “I thought she was gonna die on me, yeah,” according to A Current Affair.
Baby Shaylar is back with her parents, probably unaware of what actually happened that shocking day at the supermarket. She’ll surely hear all about it as she grows up. She can thank her hero when she’s older.
Thanks to real life hero Rowan O’Neill, Shaylar can continue to enjoy playtime in the sun with her loving father. Along with her mother, the trio do really seem like a loving family. They’ll surely cherish each and every day together in light of past events.
From now on, every single next day is a blessing thanks to the heroics of Rowan and his helpers in the supermarket. They didn’t arrive in the Batmobile nor fly in through a window. They were merely minding their own business and grocery shopping when called upon to save the day – and they delivered as real heroes do, making an immeasurable impact in a family’s life.
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