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Family Thanks Officer For "Egging" Their House

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ROWLETT (CBSDFW) - On Easter morning, a Rowlett family opened their front door to find their home had been "egged."

There were Easter eggs hidden all over their front yard. It didn't take a detective to figure out who was behind the thoughtful gift. Inside some of the Easter eggs, were Rowlett Police Department stickers.

"There's no way to repay him. At all," says Tammy Norvell.

She is not just talking about Rowlett Police Corporal Patrick Ray's Easter gesture. He is the reason her 2 year old daughter is alive.

"I could be celebrating my twins' birthday, with just one," Norvell says.

The terrifying moments happened last summer, when unbeknownst to her, one of her twins, Bexley, swallowed a penny.

"She was a rag doll in my arms," Norvell remembers.

Her daughter's rescue was captured on then responding Rowlett Officer Ray's body camera. He can be heard trying to clear Bexley's throat, and then the powerful sound of crying.

The most beautiful sound to her mother. It meant Bexley was breathing!

"My initials and name are P. Ray, So she says I am the angel that was sent from God to save her child,"

Ever since, he has been a part of their lives. Easter was no different.

"I snuck up real quick, dropped the Easter baskets off at the front of the house and then I just started tossing eggs out," Corporal Ray says, describing how he pulled off the surprise.

"She said, "Oh my gosh you egged my house!' And I said, 'I sure did. Sneaky Sneaky," he laughs.

Corporal Ray and his wife have 2 children. The families often get together for play dates.

"We've actually just become really good friends, after that," he says.

Both families were brought together by the near tragedy on that fateful day in July. Now, together they are celebrating the beauty of everyday life.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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