Some law enforcement officers really do go above and beyond the call of duty. Luckily for mom-of-five Shannon Bird, her local patrol in Highland, Utah, falls into that category.
Bird’s emergency wasn’t a typical 911-call scenario. She dialed for help not to report an accident or a crime, but because she was out of baby formula.
Speaking to KSL-TV, Bird confirmed that she called 911 just after 2 a.m. when she realized she couldn’t breastfeed her six-week-old daughter as normal. Her husband was out of town, and there was no formula in the house.
“She was screaming. I called my husband and we were brainstorming,” Bird told KSL-TV. “I started calling neighbors and teenagers in the area and my little brother and no one was awake.”
In the 911 call, which was obtained by the station, Bird said, “I’ve been calling neighbors and no one will answer.”
She told the operator that she’d never been in this situation before, and that her milk had “just literally dried out.”
“This is my fifth kid and this has never happened,” she added.
Lone Peak Police Department Officers Brett Wagstaff and Konner Gabbitas responded to Bird’s call, picking up a gallon of milk on their way to her home. But they had to go back to the store after they realized the baby girl was too young for regular milk. Not to be deterred, they picked up formula milk – after telling Bird her baby was “adorable” in body-camera footage, per KSL-TV.
The icing on the cake? The officers wouldn’t take any money from Bird for the formula. Wagstaff reportedly said, “That’s the same stuff we gave my daughter when she was first born, so hopefully it doesn’t upset her stomach.”
After word spread online about Wagstaff and Gabbitas’ act of kindness, the Lone Peak Police Department posted on Facebook to give them the credit they were due, writing, “So very proud of our Officers and their dedication to duty.”
Bird also got praise on the Facebook post. “So proud of this mom for calling for help. We all need each other at different times and for different things. She did the right thing, and I know the officers were so happy to help,” wrote one user. Another commented, “In her world, at that moment, this was definitely an emergency. Thank you Lone Peak Police Officers for responding with such kindness and compassion.”
Numerous people simply expressed their gratitude for the officers, calling them “true heroes” and “just really good people.”
Bird told KSL-TV that her intention wasn’t for officers to bring the milk to her; she called 911 to ask them to protect her kids in her home while she went out to buy the formula herself. “I’ve never not had food for my newborn,” she added. “It was really scary for me.”
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