SC deputy honored as godfather 1 year after saving 12-day-old baby's life

A terrifying moment has turned into a life-long bond between one woman, her baby and a South Carolina deputy sheriff.

Last June, Deputy William Kimbro pulled over a car for speeding and found a mother frantic inside.

The woman's 12-day-old baby was not breathing.

Kimbro's body camera captured the tense moments as he performed live-saving CPR.

"Come on, baby. Cry for me. Cry for me. Come on, open those eyes, sweetheart. There you go," Kimbro could be heard saying. "I'm worried about her, because she starts breathing and then she stops. And then starts and then stops."

Baby Ryleigh went on to make a full recovery, but that's not the end of this story.

Now, one year after that fateful day, Deputy Kimbro was invited to her first birthday and he got a special surprise written inside a card.

"My jaw just dropped and I had this look on my face," Kimbro said

Deputy Kimbro was asked to be Ryleigh's godfather through a hidden message on a card.

"I was able to finally scratch it off, it says 'will you be my godfather' and I said 'absolutely,'" Kimbro recalled.

"I want him to feel like we're family, which we are family. I felt like I had to give him a title, let him know, 'hey, thank you, thank you so much,'" Ryleigh's mom said.

Ryleigh's mom says Deputy Kimbro will be part of her heart forever.