Daniel Borisuck Born in Family’s Balsam Lane Home
On Tuesday, May 31 the members of the Wantagh Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corp (WLVAC) who were wrapping up an overnight shift at the station house on Balsam Lane received a 911 call for something they had only responded to possibly once before. It was a woman in labor, at her home, a home located directly adjacent from the station.
The Borisuck family, Diana and her husband Daniel with their four young children, had just moved to Levittown from Queens less than one day earlier. All of the excitement from the move to a new house put Diana right into labor with her fifth child the following morning.
“All of my children have been born late, they have never been early,” said Diana. So, it was a huge surprise to her that she was going into labor 11 days earlier than her baby’s expected due date. She said she had also always needed to be induced, at the hospital, for the delivery of the first four children. This birth was her first experience of naturally going into labor.
Around 4:15 a.m. Diana awoke with contractions. She had no signs prior to that of going into labor. Diana asked her husband to call his mother, who lives in Hicksville, to come babysit their other children while they went to the hospital. Diana called the doctor around 5:30 a.m. and they had agreed to meet at Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC). She said she made it out to their front yard when she realized the baby’s head was crowning and she would not make it to the hospital. Daniel called 911.
When the members of WLVAC received the 911 call and saw that the call was coming from directly across the street, Chet Pietrzak was the first one to arrive at the Borisucks’ home. He assessed the situation and got Diana situated on her sofa in the living room. He instructed her to begin pushing with her next contraction. Chet said he had helped deliver a baby once before, but this was the first time he delivered a baby by himself.
Within minutes, EMS volunteers Kevin Quinn, Jason Della Vecchia, and George Baty joined Chet and at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31 Daniel Joseph “Chet” Borisuck was born in the living room of the Borisucks’ new home on Balsam Lane.
George Baty was assisting, kneeling on the floor next to Chet when Daniel was delivered. “When the baby came out I just had this feeling, looking at the baby, and realizing how precious and fragile human life is,” said George. “Our generation will be moving on and the new one will be coming; life is just too short to be unhappy and miserable, w should be happy with life while we are here.”
Siblings Brendon, Kaitlyn, Kyle, and Dylan all agreed, they were scared at first with all of the commotion, but once they heard little Daniel cry for the first time, they were all happy and excited.
The WLVAC crew transported Diana and baby Daniel to NUMC where they were given thumbs up, reportedly healthy by the maternity department. “They were there in seconds and delivered our beautiful baby boy; the team was amazing,” said Diana. “I thank God for them every time I look at my son; it was truly a blessing!”
The code of conduct prohibits the paramedics from having initiating contact with patients after assistance calls. They are, however, allowed to maintain a friendship if they are invited. Diana invited the WLVAC volunteers to visit her newborn and even asked Chet to sign Daniel’s birth certificate as the attending physician. Proudly, Chet said, “I had a smile on my face for about a week.”
