MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- A public servant was honored and a grateful father was humbled April 8 aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, when Marine Corps Police Department officer Nadeem A. Seirafi received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award for heroic actions performed in saving a young child’s life three months earlier.
When military spouse Bridgett Slindee noticed her then 16-month-old daughter Nyoucha exhibiting seizure-like symptoms inside the Base Commissary Jan. 9, a deep feeling of horror quickly set in.
“It was a Saturday and I was at the commissary with my sister, when I saw my baby wasn’t focused on me anymore and that she was looking straight up with her eyes rolling back,” said the Barstow native. “I started panicking, but my sister was calm enough to go and have the cashier make an emergency call for help.”
Within moments, Seirafi received the urgent dispatch while on routine patrol and immediately rushed to the scene to assist the struggling toddler.
“I was a quarter of a mile away at the most when I received the call,” said the Palm Springs, Calif., native. “All I could think to myself was, ‘I need to get there now!’”
Shortly after the emergency call was made, Seirafi arrived on the scene and let his training take over, as he instantly began administering infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the unresponsive child.
“He was there in less than five minutes,” Slindee said. “When he got there it seemed like Nyoucha was better as soon as we placed her in his arms.”
After the base policeman revived the baby, she was transported to a local medical facility for further evaluation and Seirafi returned to his standard duties until they were finally reunited at the officer’s award ceremony.
In addition to being joined by family members, friends and co-workers to receive recognition for his bravery, the 31-year-old got a special treat when Nyoucha and her parents, Army Staff Sgt. Christopher and Bridgett Slindee arrived to show their appreciation for his efforts.
“It was a relief to finally meet him in person because after everything happened, the worst part was my wife and I didn’t know his name or who he was until today,” said Christopher, a wheeled-vehicle shop foreman with the 557th Maintenance Company at Fort Irwin. “I can’t describe in words what my little girl means to me and I couldn’t imagine what our lives would be like without her.”
“I’m more than grateful to him because he gave me the chance to still be a dad,” added the Medford, Minn., native. “He definitely deserved his award as far as I’m concerned.”
Though receiving meritorious distinction in front of a room full of people was a bit much for the normally reserved policeman to handle, Seirafi was flattered and keenly aware of the true reward that came from his actions.
“I was honored by the award and it’s a little overwhelming to have nearly the whole command deck take time out of their busy schedules to show up,” he said. “It is probably the best award I could receive, other than seeing that beautiful, smiling baby girl walk into the room.
“I don’t normally like the sound of crying babies,” he added, “but that day in the commissary parking lot, that baby breathing again and crying was the best sound in the world.”
Throughout the ceremony, it was hard to imagine that anyone present was as proud of the MCPD hero as his mother, Terri Hardy, who watched him grow into the person he is today.
“I am just bursting with pride looking at him now,” she said with a smile on her face. “My son has become such a man of character over the years.”
Seirafi’s heroism also reflected positively on the Marine Corps Civilian Police Program as a whole, according to Danny Strand, MCLB Barstow Director of Security and Emergency Services.
“Officer Seirafi’s accomplishments provide validity to the civilian police department not only here at MCLB Barstow, but throughout the Marine Corps,” said the native of Deer Lodge, Tenn. “It shows that the true purpose of a civilian police officer is not to ‘police,’ but to protect and serve.”
Wearing his newly earned award on his uniform as a daily reminder of his exceptional service that fateful January Saturday afternoon, Seirafi does not intend on resting on his laurels.
“It’s not the award that will propel me forward,” he remarked, “but knowing I was able to do something good for another person will push me to do even more in the future.”