CORTLAND Mother thanks 2 rescuers

Two paramedics were among the people who had a hand in saving the child's life.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR HEALTH WRITER
CORTLAND -- For most parents, a 2-year-old acting like a 2-year-old can be irritating, frustrating and sometimes a little embarrassing.
But when little Raegen Stack does those normal "terrible twos" things, her mother, Julie Stack of Cortland, adds gratefulness to her list of emotions.
There was a six-week period in September and October 2000 when Stack didn't know if her daughter would survive, let alone be normal.
Suffering from what doctors now think was a form of whooping cough, Raegan stopped breathing many times and was hospitalized for about six weeks. Because she stopped breathing for extended periods of time, there was concern she would have developmental delays.
But two years later, there appear to be no ill effects of her bout with illness. In fact, her mother said Raegen is an active 2-year-old who is ahead of her age in some areas of development.
"The doctors can't believe it. She's a miracle," Stack said.
Raegen's favorite toy is "anything that is her mom's," Stack said. She loves Scooby-Doo, stuffed animals, swinging and sliding outside and singing.
"If you try to sing a song with her that she knows, she'll say, 'Shhh. Raegen sing.'"
What happened
But two years ago, a few weeks after her birth on Aug. 18, 2000, all was not so happy.
Raegen was several weeks old when she developed congestion and the heart monitor she wore as a precaution because she was born five weeks premature kept going off.
Stack took her daughter to the doctor several times, but he could not find the problem.
"The last time I took her she was coughing so badly she was turning red and purple and blue and having a hard time catching her breath. The doctor gave her medicine for reflux, congestion and cough and sent her home," she said.
But Raegen's breathing problems became more severe, and one night as she labored to get air, her tongue protruded, her eyes rolled back in her head, she went limp and stopped breathing.
Stack said she pounded Raegen on the back and got her breathing again. The next morning, however, Raegen stopped breathing once more.
Stack said she was able to get her breathing again, but knew she would never be able to keep her daughter breathing and drive her to the hospital at the same time. So she called 911 and Raegen was transported to the closest hospital, St. Joseph Health Center in Warren.
"There are a lot of people who had a hand in saving Raegen's life. I'm grateful to them all," Stack said.
Paramedics helped out
The first were two Rural/Metro Ambulance paramedics, Tom Farley and Joyce Spitler, who were dispatched to Stack's residence, then Mauro Circle in Niles.
Stack said they did not think Raegen would survive the trip to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, so took her to St. Joseph.
They tried to get her stabilized, but when they started to transport her, she stopped breathing again.
Farley said, "Oh baby, please don't do this to me again."
"They treated Raegen like she was their own child," Stack said.
After Raegen was stabilized at St. Joseph, she was transferred to St. Elizabeth. That night, at midnight, her throat completely closed, Stack said.
"Doctors said if she had not been in the hospital at the time, she would have died," Stack said.
Six weeks later, after stays at St. Elizabeth and Forum Health Tod Children's Hospital in Youngstown, Raegan was well enough to go home and has had no problems since.
A personal thanks
On Wednesday, Stack came to Rural/Metro in Youngstown to personally thank Farley, of Columbiana, and Spitler, of Youngstown, whom she met again for the first time since they answered her call for help Sept. 23, 2000.
"I want [Raegen] to understand that they had a big part in saving her life," Stack said.
"It's exciting to see her running around," Spitler said.
"It's nice to see a good outcome from a call. Most calls are not like that," Farley added.
Stack said she has become best friends with one of Raegen's nurses, Alice Mientkiewicz, and her husband, Greg, of Kinsman, who have taken a special interest in Raegen.
Stack, 38, is originally from Anaheim, Calif. She served in the Air Force in 1983 and 1984, and moved here from Michigan's Upper Peninsula in 1995. Divorced for several years, she has three children from her marriage: Michael, 17; Christopher, 16; and Hillary, 13, who live with their father in Southington. Stack is a waitress at Perkins Restaurant on Elm Road in Warren and a clerk at Speedway in Cortland.