Nassau County Man Celebrates 72nd Birthday With First Responders Who Saved His Life
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Vietnam vet and former school teacher from Levittown celebrated a special birthday Monday.
The 72-year-old retiree almost died just before Christmas while he was teaching his 8-year-old neighbor how to skateboard, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported.
The Long Island husband and father is counting his blessings. He said he would not be with his family if not for the heroic efforts of his next-door neighbor and a team of total strangers.
"Today's my birthday," Gary Peterson said.
He has six-dozen reasons to say thank you. He and his emotional, joyful family honored their FDNY neighbor, Nassau County first responders, and a police medic who raced into a life-and-death struggle, kept their wits about them, and worked through anxious, frightening minutes to restore a pulse during an unexpected, full-blown cardiac arrest.
What brought on the heart attack and collapse may be just as remarkable as the lifesaving mission itself. Peterson, a Nassau County skateboarding champion back in 1966, said he was teaching his young neighbor how to ride the board when he started to feel a little tired.
So he went inside and collapsed on the couch.
"And I'm like, what do you mean you're exhausted? And I kept slapping him, Gary wake up, and nothing," said his wife, Susan.
The 8-year-old's dad, a former firefighter, came running, and so did a team of Nassau County medics. Things looked grim. Gary had no pulse and had turned blue.
"Our team got him in his best shape he could possibly be in so that the doctor could then do his job," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said.
Gary was immediately rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital.
"All of this was very time sensitive, in saving brain and in saving heart. Everything kind of lined up in this case," Dr. Andrew Dream said.
"These things don't end up well and I just knew that it would take a miracle. And, you know, God pulled through," said Gary's daughter, Pamela.
Despite his years as a high school teacher and in the jungles of Vietnam, Gary said nothing in life prepared him to receive the overwhelming acts of kindness and bravery from our first responders.
Gary was in the hospital for nearly a month, but said now he feels well enough to skateboard again.
