by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
A dramatic saving of the life of an 18-month-old boy on Hwy. 10 in Benton County has been capturing people’s hearts and minds far and wide.
For their quick and expert actions, seven first-responders will be honored at the Benton County Board meeting when it meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17 in Foley.
In the meantime, the boy whose life was saved – Jace Josephson of Upsala – remains at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, where he is awaiting a heart transplant.
The dramatic life-saving happened shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15 when a 911 call was answered at the Benton County Sheriff’s Department. The frantic call was from Akasha Ness-Breitwieser, 22, saying her 18-month-old son Jace had stopped breathing. While traveling south on Hwy. 10 about four miles south of Rice, Ness-Breitwieser had stopped her car near the intersection of Little Rock Road NW. She told the dispatcher what was happening, including her efforts to administer CPR to the boy.
Just about that time, a Rice firefighter, Blake Phenow, happened to be driving on Hwy. 10 in his personal vehicle when he noticed a woman’s car stopped on the side of the road in the shoulder. Phenow stopped his car and quickly learned about the problem, and began rendering aid to the child.
Minutes later, Minnesota State Trooper James Orlando arrived at the scene and began assisting with CPR. Shortly after Orlando’s arrival, Benton County Deputy Ron Thomas arrived. He also helped with CPR until Gold Cross Ambulance Service arrived.
At that point, inside the ambulance, a team of Gold Cross paramedics went into action. They were Jason Jacobson, Nicholas Engler, Amanda Cherne and Natascha Hennen. While they were attending to Jace, his heart began to beat and he resumed breathing on his own.
Jace was rushed to the St. Cloud Hospital, and he and his mother spent about eight hours there. Then he was transferred to Children’s Minnesota Hospital where doctors attempted to stabilize his condition – a very serious medical condition known as hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, which Jace had been born with. The left side of his heart does not function well and so the right side has to do all the blood-pumping to the body, but that causes the right side to overextend itself to the point where it can stop beating. Jace’s mother was aware of the condition before Jace was born.
After two week’s at Children’s Minnesota Hospital, Jace was transferred to the Mayo Clinic to await his transplant.
“We almost lost him twice,” said his mother, adding Jace had gone into cardiac arrest eight times since the incident on Hwy. 10.
He is now on a life-support machine, which aids his breathing.
“Hopefully, he’ll get the breathing tube out soon,” Ness-Breitwieser said. “We’re struggling to keep his lungs open. He also has a lot of blood clots from the life-support machine, which I’ve been told is common.”
Since the Mayo Clinic is three hours from Ness-Breitwieser’s home in Upsala, it’s difficult for her and her husband, Tim Josephson, to be with their son during his care.
Help for family
A GoFundMe page, dubbed “Beatz For Jace,” has raised about $2,000 of the $15,000 goal set for the family. There is also a “Beats for Jace” Facebook page with updates on the boy’s medical condition and news about other fundraising events.
“Anything helps, and everything is appreciated,” said Ness-Breitwieser of the fundraising efforts. “We’re holding up as best we can. If I could, I’d also just like to send a personal thank you to the emergency-room team and to all the strangers who stopped to help that day.”
There will be a benefit for Jace and his family, with a silent auction at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 in the “Tavern on the Avenue” in St. Paul. The name of the benefit is “Jace’s Journey for a New Heart.” The sports bar is located at 825 Jefferson Ave. For more information about “Jace’s Journey” and a map of the tavern’s location, google “Tavern on the Avenue, St. Paul, MN.”
This is a photo of Jace Josephson in happier days before his heart condition caused him to be on life support as he waits for a new heart.
Connected to so many tubes and sometimes so uncomfortable, Jace Josephson is staying at the Mayo Clinic until a heart can be found to transplant into him. He nearly died when he stopped breathing while he was riding in his mother’s car on Hwy. 10 in Benton County. Seven first-responders will soon be honored by the county board for using their swift expertise in saving Jace’s life one day last August.
