Sunday, January 12, 2025

Police officer promoted after act of kindness in Acapulco

A Mexico City police officer who breastfed a hungry baby in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis has been promoted.

Arizbeth Dionisio Ambrosio was deployed to Acapulco after the Category 5 storm made landfall on Oct. 25 and nursed a four-month-old baby boy while on duty in the devastated resort city.

Dionisio, a mother of a one-year-old, was promoted to “suboficial” as a result of her actions in Acapulco. (Jorge Becerríl/X)

The infant hadn’t eaten for a prolonged period and was crying from hunger when the 33-year-old police officer spoke to his mother, who was unable to breastfeed her son herself, and offered to nurse him.

Dionisio, a mother of a one-year-old, was promoted earlier this week in recognition of her act of compassion, her rank upgraded to “suboficial” from “policía primero.”

“For her vocation of service to citizens and for exalting the name of the Mexico City Ministry of Citizens Security, my colleague Arizbeth Dionisio Ambrosio of the Zorros group, who protected the life of a baby in Acapulco, was promoted,” Mexico City Security Minister Pablo Vázquez Camacho said on the X social media site on Monday. 

“Her work is an example of humanism for everyone,” he added.

Dionisio was part of the “Zorros” task force sent to provide humanitarian relief in Acapulco. (Jorge Becerríl/X)

Following her promotion, Dionisio said that she was happy that she was able to help the baby and his mother in their hour of need. She downplayed her act of kindness, portraying it as insignificant amid the enormity of the devastation caused by Otis.

“I did very little, we can help more,” Dionisio said. “If I could, I’d return … to see the baby.”

The policewoman previously told reporters that it felt “nice” to help a crying, hungry baby.

“If something pains us as mothers it’s … [seeing] a baby in these circumstances,” she said.

With reports from Expansión, BBC and El Universal 

19 COMMENTS

    • Yes, so beautiful and also the Mexican way as I know it, having lived there for twelve years. It’s just insane the way a great deal of Norte Americanos still are so uncomfortable about their bodies. Breast-feeding in public still unheard of. Sadly it might never change and certainly not in my lifetime. I applaud the fine Senora Dionisio, an outstanding officer who deserves the highest recognition. I hope she will be able to see the baby again and again! !Viva Mexico!

  1. A true act of kindness and compassion. Bless her and all mothers and fathers. No child should ever feel hunger.

  2. What a generous and compassionate act. if everyone in the world could be like this, so many problems would be solved. Wonderful story.

  3. Anthropologists say every child should grow up in a Mexican village, where all the mothers tend to the children naturally. My good campesina friend Teresa always had some beans on the stove, ready to make a taco for any hungry child. But I don’t think even she ever breast fed another child. Though she would have.

  4. Tremendously beautiful act of selflessness and compassion.
    Thank heavens she was rewarded and not admonished.

  5. It would be appropriate for her to be on the cover of TIME, “person of the year”. That may help get the stigma squashed a bit in the U.S. IMHO, I hope whoever took the photo, will submit it.

Comments are closed.

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