Merrick teen saves dad after heart attack

When Colleen Oggeri took a CPR training class three years ago with the Merrick PAL, she hoped that she would never find herself in a situation where she had to use her new skills — let alone to save her own father’s life, which is exactly what happened.

On Feb. 3, Doug Oggeri, 55, was shoveling snow outside his Merrick home. He stepped inside to check on the computer printer, and what happened next would throw the lives of the Oggeri family into a giant emotional whirlwind.

"I was literally fine one minute,” said Oggeri. “I had come in from outside shoveling snow, walked … into the family room, went inside to the printer, and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor."

He was having a heart attack. Immediately, 18-year-old Colleen, a senior at Calhoun High School, began administering CPR to her father.

Her mother, Linda Oggeri, called 911, and within minutes Doug was taken to the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where he received treatment. He was later moved to the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, where doctors opened blockages in his arteries with balloon angioplasty and stainless steel stents. Doctors later said that they doubt Oggeri would have survived has Colleen not administered CPR.

He was discharged on Feb. 11, and until mid-March he must wear a Live Vest, a defibrillator vest that monitors his heartbeat and will provide a shock to his heart in less than a minute if it detects life-threatening rhythms.

"It's annoying,” Oggeri said of the vest, “But that's the way it is.”

Three weeks after suffering the heart attack, Oggeri said he is feeling much better, and recently he was able to walk around outside. "I'm fine,” he said. “Much better than I was. Each day is a little bit better. I've got some sore points, my ribs took quite a bit of abuse, but I feel much better."

Oggeri, who works at LaGuardia Airport, said he hopes to go back to work in a month, but a more realistic timeframe is six to eight weeks.

Since the incident, the family, and especially Colleen, has received a lot of public attention. She was presented with the New York State Senate Liberty Medal by Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr. at Calhoun last Friday in front of her classmates.

"It's been crazy,” said Colleen. “I'm not one to be the center of attention, I don't like that. So it's kind of weird having people come to me and say, 'Oh my god, that's so great what you did!' I wish I didn't have to do it."

The medal, according to Fuschillo, is presented to people who rise to exceptional heroic or humanitarian efforts. "Colleen redefined the word 'hero,'” Fuschillo said at the ceremony. “I wonder how many kids her age would have the courage and fortitude in the situation that she was faced with, where her father was dying."

According to Oggeri, doctors told him over a year ago that the arteries leading to his heart were 50 percent blocked, but he was also told that that’s not unusual for someone his age. He was advised by his doctors, however, to have stents put in. He delayed the procedure, he said, because of work obligations.

"We just wanted to get the word out there that CPR is so important, as well as early warning signs of heart disease,” said Linda Oggeri. “You need to listen to your doctor and you need to listen to your body.”

Colleen took a three-hour class three years ago to learn CPR, and she and the rest of her family hope that their experience will teach others the importance of learning the procedure.

According to Linda, people have already contacted her to tell her that because of her story, they have undergone procedures, such as cardiac workups or stent placements, that they had previously been delaying. “The outcome has been very positive,” she said. “Hopefully other people will act upon it and do what they're supposed to do: either take care of their health or learn CPR, and they'll have that skill to save somebody."

Colleen, an honors student at Calhoun, will graduate in the spring, and although she is still unsure of what college she may attend, she said she plans to study nursing. She plays the flute in the school band, participates in the Key Club and the Model U.N., runs track and has volunteered at the Long Beach Medical Center.

"She's near perfect,” said Calhoun Principal David Seinfeld. “Academically, she's an excellent student. She's well-rounded, very involved in our music program, and she's the type of young woman who says hello to you every time she sees you. She's kind, thoughtful and it all paid off."

The youngest of three children, Colleen has a brother, Dan, 22, and a sister, Elizabeth, 20, who attends Marist University. Now, in the weeks after the incident, the family is slowly returning to normal life. "I wish it happened to someone else and not us,” said Dan, who is a Jones Beach lifeguard. “But given the good outcome, I'm happy either way because he's still here still in good health, so that's all that matters to me.”

“God forbid something like this happens and you don't get the positive outcome that we had,” said Linda. “We're very fortunate. Most people don't have this second chance that we do."