It was all smiles and hugs at St. Luke's Tuesday for the Messer family and the first responders who worked to save their little boy's life.
"We are super happy to have the reunion," said Kimberly Messer.
It was a much different scene from just two years ago.
Drake was just four-years-old at the time when the family took their eyes off of him for just a second, only to find him moments later unconscious in a fish pond.
Officer Aaron Coleman was one of the first on the scene. Although he had been with the department for 14 years, it was the first time he had ever had to perform CPR.
"We deal with a lot of scary stuff, a lot of bad people, a lot of bad stuff, but that's not scary in comparison to having a small boy that has drown and hoping you can be apart of keeping him alive," said Officer Coleman.
Drake was rushed to St. Luke's where medical staff worked tirelessly to save him, and their hard work paid off.
"Many times we see families we have no idea what happens to them. To know that a child like Drake went through a very significant event, a drowning, basically he was dead, to be his normal self and playing and see the family together, It's complete meaning. It's peace actually," said Dr. Derrick Dauplaise.
To thank them, the Messer family brought the medical staff some of Drake's favorite snacks to munch on, and for the doctors Superman shirts because to the Messer's they are heroes.
"They are really the superheroes actually because they didn't sign up for this. I signed up for this," said Dr. Dauplaise.
"We can't express with words or gifts, any amount is never going to be enough for us to say thank you," said Messer.
But the greatest gift they could possibly bring?
"The greatest gift was Drake," cried Messer.
"Many times families can't come back to the ICU no matter what the outcome. It's a hard place to come back to, so to see him, that's the gift," said Dr. Dauplaise.
