Danville

Toddler Given Police Escort to Hospital Through Snowstorm ‘Resting Comfortably'

The little boy's parents said they are "very grateful" to all the first responders and hospital personnel who got Bentley Gingerlowski to the medical center in Danville, Pennsylvania.

A 23-month-old Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, boy who was escorted by snowplows and state troopers for an emergency procedure during this week's snowstorm was resting comfortably Friday in a hospital. 

Bentley Gingerlowski has a rare congenital heart defect and on Tuesday he needed an emergency treatment. But it was at the height of a powerful snowstorm and the doctors equipped to do the procedure were 80 miles from where the boy was staying to Geisinger Medical System's Janet Weis Children's Hospital in Danville, Pennsylvania.

Police escorted a 23-month-old boy with a critical health condition to a Pennsylvania hospital during Tuesday’s nor’easter, saving his life.

That's when seemingly the best of Pennsylvania's emergency personnel kicked in and provided a special escort in the blinding snow.  

The National Guard and Pennsylvania State Police teamed up with PennDOT.

Even Gov. Tom Wolf said state snowplows and troopers got the boy from Mt. Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg to Geisinger.

“We’re very grateful for each and every member of the team who provided service to get our son here safely,” said mom Nicole Gingerlowski, adding that Geisinger medical personnel helped coordinate the emergency transport.

On Friday, Bentley was "resting comfortably" with his parents, Nicole and Brian, the hospital said in a statement.

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“To finally get here was a relief,” Nicole said. “To see your son that way was scary. He’s always been a fighter, but not knowing what would happen to him really was the scariest part.”

His parents rushed him to a nearby hospital initially because of a low platelet condition that caused external bleeding, the hospital said. The life-threatening condition has been stabilized, according to Geisinger, where Bentley was born.

The storm dropped more than 20 inches of snow and sleet in parts of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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