‘Calm, steadfast’ boy called 911, kept mom alive
ALOHA, Ore. (KOIN) – About a year ago, Brett and Michele Rezewski taught their son Conner how to call 911 in an emergency. His mom is alive today because he did just that.
About a week ago, Michele – who is 34 and 8 weeks pregnant with their fourth child – had a medical emergency while Brett was at work. Up stepped 9-year-old Conner, who calmly called 911 – and then called his dad.
It was around 4 p.m. June 10 when, as Brett told KOIN 6 News, “Michele was getting ready to put pizza in the oven and then she told Conner she wasn’t feeling well and she had to go lay down.”
Conner went to play, Brett said, but heard sounds coming from Michele’s room. “He went to go check on her to make sure she was OK.”
“Conner said that she fell asleep and she was shaking a little bit, so I think that she had a seizure,” he said. “Then Conner picked up the phone and then he dialed 911. That’s my rock – Conner is a rock through all of this.”
Brett said his son maintained his composure while he was on the phone with the 911 dispatchers.
“When I finally talked to him he was really calm, really steadfast. He goes, ‘Dad, I had to call 911. Mommy’s not OK. You need to leave work immediately.’ Very concise with his speech. I’m like, ‘Whoa! What’s going on?’”
One of their friends saw the ambulance and followed it to the house to help with Conner and his 2 younger brothers.
Calling 911 made a huge difference in Michele’s treatment.
“The doctor said if there would have been a 15- or 20-minute delay that she would have been dead,” Brett said.
As it was, he said, the doctors didn’t think she’d make it through the night. But now, 10 days later, he said Michele is opening her left eye and is alert but not talking.
“We’re just witnessing so many miracles and God is totally providing for us,” he said. “Really thankful for that.”
Michele was diagnosed with Moyamoya disease, which is caused by blocked arteries at the base of the brain:
“As the normal blood vessels narrow and become blocked, a person may suffer a stroke. No medication can stop or reverse the progression of moyamoya disease. Treatment focuses on reducing the risk of stroke and restoring blood flow to the brain.”
Michele had “been complaining about headaches for a long time,” Brett said. She’s had one surgery and will need another one at some point, he said. Michele remains in the neuro-critical unit at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
Brett said he and his family are taking things one day at a time.
“Who know what the future holds for us, but I know that God knows and I know that he’ll provide,” Brett said. “I just feel like God has given us that hope and encouragement, so those are the things we’re holding on to right now.”
As for Conner, he’s at camp now.
“I asked him the other day, ‘How do you feel about all of this attention you’re getting (about people calling him a hero.) And he’s like, ‘I don’t really like it.’”
But, his dad said, “He’s my hero. He’s totally my hero.”