Colorado Police Provide Care For Premature Newborn Suffering From Mystery Illness

A team of police officers in Colorado have stepped up to provide constant care in the form of cuddles to the newborn child of two Colorado police officers — one current, one former, who was born prematurely at 29 weeks with several debilitating medical issues, reports said Tuesday.

“They let us know he had all sorts of issues genetically, physically to the point where the news was pretty devastating,” said Adam Winch, the newborn, Axel Winch’s father. “He was in for probably a lifetime of issues medically. They’re still not sure what all of it is.”

After weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), with very few answers on their child’s condition, Axel Winch’s parents were forced to return to work while their son remained hospitalized, according to TV station KUSA in Denver. The couple found it difficult to provide him with the round-the-clock care that the child needed.

That is when a team of police officers stepped up to help care for the sick child and worked in shifts to ensure he was never alone, the station reported.

Axel was hospitalized on Aug. 1 at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora where he had been flown to after being born in Grand Junction. He then underwent several surgeries and procedures.

“He’s completely a mystery baby to this NICU,” Winch said. “It is world-class, still trying to figure it all out. There’s a lot of different theories, but they’re not sure exactly what it is yet.”

Both Axel’s parents had to return to work after weeks of close calls and scares.

“Leaving is heartbreaking,” Melissa, Axel’s mother told the Denver station. “The first time we left, I cried not all the way home, but the majority of the way home. It’s terrible.”

“Axel has died in our arms multiple times,” Adam said. “His nurses have saved his life. We have watched miracle after miracle.”

However, Sgt. Mike Pitrusu with the Aurora Police Department came to the child's rescue and said he had heard about the case through a fellow officer and had been since determined that Axel wouldn’t be left alone in the hospital.

“[I] came up with the idea that we would set up basically a watch, that we would have officers sign up for times to come in here and spend time with Axel,” Pitrusu explained.

Almost 20 officers from the department would come in at different times on the days the parents were unable to be there, according to Pitrusu. “Somebody called it the cuddle watch,” he said.

“I don't know where that came from. I think we probably would've come with something tougher. We'll go with cuddle watch," he added.

Axel was able to return home with his parents recently, but the officers would miss cuddling the baby, according to NBC affiliate King 5.

“We almost need to set up a cuddle watch for Children’s Hospital, just give the opportunity to come in and take care of the little ones,” Pitrusu said.

“They’ve kind of spoiled our boy now,” Melissa said. “He just wants to be held all the time now.”

A campaign has been started on the GoFundMe website in order to raise funds for Axel's recovery.