HARTFORD 鈥 Caroline Glaeser came home from Children鈥檚 Wisconsin on Friday after several months in the neonatal intensive care unit, and on their way home for the first time as a family, the Glaesers stopped at the Hartford Fire & Rescue Department to thank Hartford firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and police officers for making the moment possible.
On Nov. 11, 2023, the Hartford Fire & Rescue Department staff were getting ready to finish up their shift, which ended at 6 a.m. that day, but before they were off a call came in at 5:10 a.m. of an imminent delivery of Caroline at the Glaeser home.
"When we got the page it was 24 weeks is what the page was originally for, and when we got there the baby was partially delivered already," said firefighter and paramedic Taylor Dynes. "When we got the baby fully delivered, there was no heartbeat.鈥
Dynes and his team of EMTs, paramedics and firefighters immediately began performing CPR, as did police officers who also arrived on scene.
鈥淎fter 20 minutes of performing CPR and other resuscitative measures, we made a decision to transport (Caroline) to the hospital, and when we finally got to the hospital a combination of our crew and the hospital team were finally able to get a heartbeat back,鈥 Dynes said.
Dynes added that despite all the training that EMTs and paramedics receive from their schooling and monthly training sessions, this was a situation that one couldn鈥檛 prepare for until actually going through it.
鈥淵ou do what you can and just hope that you got a really good team with you and make good recommendations along the way,鈥 Dynes said. 鈥淟uckily, I could count on my team that day. Every person was valuable and I wouldn鈥檛 trade any team member out.鈥
Caroline was then transported to Children鈥檚 Wisconsin, where she stayed until Friday, when she was finally discharged from the NICU after the past several months.
'It鈥檚 unbelievable,鈥 said EMT Kelly Morey, who was also on the call Nov. 11, 2023. 鈥淲e are thrilled. Thrilled. She鈥檚 a miracle story, and we鈥檙e all very proud.鈥
鈥淚t means the world,鈥 Dynes said.
On her way home for the first time, Caroline鈥檚 parents, Adam and April Glaeser, were escorted to the Hartford Fire 7 Rescue Department by the team that helped save their daughter鈥檚 life to thank them for making this day possible.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 pretty mindblowing,鈥 said April. 鈥淲e definitely didn鈥檛 think we were going to be here. It鈥檚 by the grace of God that 178 days ago she was born unplanned at home, and without Hartford Fire & Rescue and the police department, we wouldn鈥檛 be here today. So, we鈥檙e just overwhelmed and so blessed.鈥
鈥淵es, very blessed,鈥 said Adam. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 thank the people of Hartford and everyone here enough for everything that they鈥檝e done for us. We鈥檙e truly grateful. She鈥檚 here because of them, Children鈥檚 Hospital and everyone there, and our families.鈥
In addition to Dynes and Morey, firefighter and paramedic Patrick Blaesing, paramedic Megan Parins, EMT Emily Gehring, EMT Ben Hoffmann, Fire Captain Kyle Wenzel, Advanced EMT Joleen Sabel, officer Andrew Bahr, officer Craig Beine and officer Eric Strunsee assisted with the delivery of Caroline Glaeser on Nov. 11, 2023.