GREEN, Ohio — On July 1, Tracy Anton, who was 27 weeks pregnant, let her dog out, and it escaped. She was chasing the dog down the street when she collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest.
Anton's stepson, 14-year-old Kasen Anton, rushed outside and turned her over and then looked for help.
"I stopped someone in a car that helped me out because I had to get someone, and my dad wasn't there at the time," Kasen said.
Julie Talbott, a neighbor a third grade teacher trained in CPR, was among to do chest compressions on Anton.
"It was very scary, because I've been trained in CPR the whole time that I've been a teacher, and I have to get re-certified all the time, and you learn about what to do, but when it's actually happening, it's very scary, and you're still unsure of if you're doing the right thing or not, no matter how many times you've been trained," Talbott said.
Two other good Samaritans, including a nurse, pulled over and took turns with Talbott providing CPR.
"We didn't know if we were making a difference," Talbott said. "We didn't know if she was going to survive at all. It was really, really scary."
Anton regained her pulse by the time Green fire medics arrived. Medics continued CPR and transported her to Summa Health.
"From the time EMS was called to the time we had the first defibrillation on the patient, the first time electricity was applied to restart the heart was only four minutes," Dr. Doug Gallo, the medical director for Summa Health, said. "That's incredible."
The doctors credit the CPR given to her by the Good Samaritans and first responders for saving her life.
"But I could just [tell] that she needed help because her color had changed and she was not responding at all," Talbott said. "She was clearly unconscious."
Anton had an emergency c-section the following day, and her son, Noah, is currently in the NICU.
"His due date was Sept. 27, so they're thinking he'll stay in there closer to that time, but as of right now, he's progressing as he should and gaining the right amount of weight and making the progress."
She said she did not remember anything until three days after she collapsed, so to regain consciousness and realize Noah was okay was a blessing.
Anton called all of her heroes "blessings from God."
"Everybody who walked my path that day was there for a reason and all contributed to me and my baby's life," she said.
On Wednesday, it was an emotional moment inside the Green Fire Station when Anton reunited with some of the medics who helped her last month.
"Definitely, God had his hand in all of this, and you know, it's not just a miracle," Anton said. "It's a double miracle, because both me and my baby were both saved."
Anton said Noah is expected to come home in a few months and live a happy, healthy life.
“This successful outcome was the result of a true team effort, starting with her neighbor administering CPR while our crew was en route,” said Green Fire Chief Jeff Funai. “Once on the scene, our team implemented advanced resuscitation protocols on the way to the hospital, ultimately restoring her ability to breathe on her own. At Summa Hospital, the staff took over, providing care for the mother and evaluating and delivering the baby. Every individual involved in this call played a vital role in saving both mother and baby.”
Anton said she was born with a heart murmur and had two open heart surgeries starting in 2017, but she had never experienced cardiac arrest until the incident outside of her home in July.
