Starace, holding Andrew, with the Burkes
Listen to the 911 call
GOSHEN – Samantha Burke of Warwick and Courtney Starace of New Windsor met in person for the first time Thursday evening, but it was not the first time they had talked.
On March 10, Burke frantically called 911 in Orange County and told Starace, the dispatcher, that her then two-month-old son, Andrew, was not breathing.
Starace called for an ambulance while she instructed Mrs. Burke on how to perform chest compressions, as can be heard in the recording of their phone conversation.
“Is the ambulance on the way,” Mrs. Burke questioned. “The ambulance is on the way. I want you to start counting – three, four, one, two, three, four, one, two,” said Starace. “I’m doing it. His eyes are open now.”
“Is he breathing?” the dispatcher asked, as the little one started to cry.
Mrs. Burke, her husband, Jordan and Andrew met Starace for a 20-minute private conversation before County Executive Steven Neuhaus’ state of the country address.
After meeting Starace, Mrs. Burke said she is “a special and caring young woman. Anyone who meets her will fall in love with her.”
It turns out that Andrew had suffered from a respiratory virus that likely caused him to stop breathing, officials said.
“We are proud of Courtney’s heroics and the wonderful work that our 911 dispatchers perform every day,” said Neuhaus. “She is a kind and compassionate young woman, and certainly has a bright future ahead of her.”
