UNSUNG HERO: "I could only have two kids right now if it wasn't for him," Marion Police Officer Sam Ward

MARION, IL (WSIL) -- This week's Unsung Hero is Marion Police Officer Sam Ward.

He's being hailed a hero after saving the life of a 7 year old girl, leaving her family forever grateful.

"We had a 911 emergency call on Thorn Street stating that a child was not breathing and was turning blue, didn't have a pulse so dispatch put it out over the radio and I was about 30 seconds away," said Marion Police Officer Sam Ward. 

"I tried to give her CPR and I don't know how to do CPR and then the next thing I know the officer was in there telling them to get me out and he started working on her," said 7 year old Mika Dotson's father Kyle. 

Mika suffers from a vocal cord virus made worse by a cold resulting in her throat to swell shut.

"Tilted her head back and felt her neck for a pulse and she did not have one and she was beginning to turn grey so I knew that she did not have oxygen for a while," said Ward.

That officer, Marion Police Department's Sam Ward immediately started life saving CPR bringing 7 year old Mika Dotson back to life.

"One of the thoughts that ran through my head after the fact was you can't fail you know especially with it being a child there is no room for error, you have to do your job perfectly," explained Ward.

The Dotson Family, especially 7 year old Mika thankful Officer Ward did his job perfectly.

"What would you want to say to Officer Ward if you could talk to him right now?" asked News Three's Brandon Merano. 

"Thank you man like there's no there's nothing I can say to express my gratitude towards him you know I could only have two kids right now if it wasn't for him," said Kyle Dotson.

And it's not just the Dotson's who are thankful for people like Sam Ward.

"I don't know how you can do anything bigger than what he's done so I am incredibly proud of him. The entire department is, there aren't enough words to describe it and I know there aren't enough thank you's to push out there for him but this made the whole city proud," said Marion Police Chief David Fitts. 

Proud because Officer Sam Ward did more than just take the call.

"Later on that night I went out to the hospital just to make sure the child was doing okay. Met the father and the mother out there and the father came up and I embraced him and gave him a hug and he said "you're an angel and you're a good one" and I said sir I was just doing my job," added Ward.

7 year old Mika Dotson with a card and two words for her hero.

"Thank You," said Mika.