The Argentinian police officer who breastfed a malnourished baby on duty has been promoted

Congratulations Sergeant Celeste Ayala!

(Image credit: REX)

Congratulations Sergeant Celeste Ayala!

This week, Argentinian police officer Celeste Ayala made headlines for all the right reasons after she instinctively breastfed a malnourished baby in an effort to comfort the newborn.

The mother-of-three was working on guard duty at the Sor Maria Ludovico children’s hospital in Buenos Aires over the weekend, when a young and malnourished baby was brought in, crying uncontrollably.

In an effort to comfort the child, Ayala instinctively took the baby in her arms and breastfed.

A photo posted by on

Her gesture was photographed, and went viral online for all the right reasons, with our Marie Claire readers voicing their awe at the gesture of love.

Now it has been announced that the police officer had been rewarded for her actions, with Buenos Aires provincial security minister Cristian Ritondo announcing on Twitter that Celeste had been promoted.

‘Today we received Celeste, the officer who nursed a baby at the children's Hospital #LaPlata to notify her of her promotion,’ the provincial security minister announced on Twitter. ‘We wanted to thank you in person for that gesture of spontaneous love that managed to calm the baby's cry. The police we're proud of, the police we want.’

Yes, Celeste Ayala has bee promoted from an officer to a sergeant, and everyone at Marie Claire is right behind her.

Congratulations Sergeant Ayala.

Jenny Proudfoot
Contributing Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.