[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S1426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO DANA BYERLEY

 Mr. SCHMITT. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Officer Dana 
Byerley of Sparta, MO, for her timely and heroic act of service to save 
the life of an infant.
  The Short family welcomed their youngest daughter Bristol in July 
2022. They soon discovered that she had cystic fibrosis (CF) and would 
need various medications every day to help her breathe and give her as 
normal a life as possible. The Short family is dedicated to creating as 
many life-giving memories as they can, so they attended the Persimmons 
Day Festival at the Roller Park in Sparta, MO, in October 2024. While 
at the festival, Bristol's mother Miranda noticed that her lips were 
turning blue and her body was going limp. They urgently searched for 
help among the crowd and reserve officer Dana Byerley quickly came to 
their aid. Officer Byerley performed mouth-to-mouth until Bristol was 
revived and the emergency medical services could arrive to bring her to 
the nearest hospital. The doctors and nurses at Mercy Hospital were 
able to attend to Bristol and treat her so she was well enough to 
travel to her CF hospital in Columbia, MO, where she remained and made 
a full recovery.
  Dana Byerley is truly a Champion of Missouri. Her willingness to help 
and quick thinking kept little Bristol alive; now, she is a thriving 
and happy toddler. I commend Officer Byerley for her service to her 
fellow Missourians and wish her all the best with the Sparta Police 
Department. 

                          ____________________