We’ve previously warned about the dangers of leaving babies in cars on hot days—a heartbreaking mistake that can turn deadly in minutes. The rising temperatures inside a parked vehicle can quickly lead to heatstroke, unconsciousness, and tragically, even death. It’s a serious issue that happens often enough to keep police officers on high alert, scanning parking lots for any signs of children left behind.
One such officer is Jason Short of Keene, New Hampshire. While on duty, he received a distressing call about a baby left alone in a locked car outside a Walmart on a scorching afternoon. Rushing to the scene, Officer Short expected the worst—but nothing could have prepared him for what he discovered next.
Jason didn’t hesitate to rush to the scene as soon as he got the call about the infant. “I got there as soon as I could,” he said in an interview with WMUR. “I don’t know how fast I was going, but it was quick.” At arrival, Jason could clearly see a baby wrapped in a blanket with its feet sticking out through the windows of the car. It was a very hot day and Jason had no idea how long the baby had been there. He broke the window open with his baton to rescue the child. Jason gently carried the baby out of the car but feared it might already be dead. It looked lifeless and was very pale, with a strange skin tone. A crowd soon gathered and Jason began performing CPR. An ambulance was called to the scene.
That’s when Jason realized something was not quite right. He began to feel something was very off. That’s when it dawned on him. What he held was in fact a lifelike doll — and not a baby at all. The doll’s owner, Carolynne Seiffer, came back from her shopping spree to a broken car window and a crowd surrounding her USD $2,000 doll, which she calls Ainsley. “I’ve been laughed at and embarrassed by all the fuss,” she told WMUR.
According to The Washington Post, Carolynne Seiffer owns around 40 of these eerily lifelike dolls—a deeply personal collection that helps her cope with the devastating loss of her son. For some grieving parents, these dolls become a powerful part of the healing journey, offering comfort in a way that words often can’t.
“You can’t know how people choose to deal with their losses in life,” Carolynne explained, gently defending her unique method of mourning.
While Officer Jason Short admitted to feeling a little embarrassed once he realized he had just “rescued” a doll, he stood firmly by his actions. “I would never assume it’s a doll,” he said in an interview with WMUR. “I would always assume it’s a child. I would never do anything different.”
In the end, what could’ve been a tragedy turned into a surprising moment of compassion, misunderstanding, and humanity. The Keene Police Department even stepped in to cover the $300 needed to repair Carolynne’s broken window—an act of kindness that reminded everyone involved that even in bizarre situations, empathy and understanding matter most.
While this story is certainly unusual, the most important takeaway is that no one was hurt. What began as a potentially tragic situation turned into a lesson in empathy, perception, and the unexpected ways people cope with loss.
If you happen to own one of these incredibly lifelike dolls, authorities kindly urge you to either carry them with you or place them in your car’s trunk—just to avoid any confusion or unnecessary panic. After all, when something looks that real, it’s only natural for others to fear the worst.
