(This letter was recently received at the Sixth Precinct and with the kind permission of the writers is proudly submitted to the readers of the Manhasset Press. George T. Morrish, Inspector, Commanding Officer, Sixth Precinct.)

With warmest regards to the following police officers and AMTs:

Officer Sue Entenmann, Officer Mary Verna, Officer Danielle Perez, Officer Bob Schnurer, Officer Ed Hartman, Officer Christine Catalano, Officer Dave Jandovitz, Officer Bitsko, AMT Mary Ellen Humphrey and AMT Tim Bono

We are the couple for whom you delivered a beautiful baby girl on the morning of March 14th, 1999, and then resuscitated her upon discovering that she was not breathing at birth, all with remarkable efficacy, skill and grace. We'd also like to thank you for everything you did for us that morning, and to tell you that you are in our thoughts and prayers every time we think of what would have happened to our daughter had you not been there when you were.

We had planned to have a home birth, but with the aid of a certified nurse/midwife and a registered nurse as her assistant. Our obstetrician was also waiting at Winthrop Hospital as our back-up in case anything went wrong that the midwife was not competent to handle. We thought we were prepared for any contingency, but we never expected what happened to us.

My labor came on so quickly that the baby started pushing her way out within minutes of my first contraction. Phil called our midwife and her assistant immediately, but we knew they could not get to us in time, and there was no time to get to any hospital, let alone to Winthrop. We were terrified by the intensity of my contractions and by the possibility of having to deliver the baby by ourselves, and Phil called 911 for help. Right after we called, the baby's head was born, and Phil --- who was delivering the baby while taking instructions via telephone from our midwife's assistant who was driving as fast as possible to get to us -- grew even more panicked when he saw the baby's grayish pallor. It was at that point that we heard your voices coming through our front door.

Officer Susan Entenmann immediately took control of the delivery, telling Phil how to assist, ordering me to push as hard as I could, and giving instructions to the rest of you on what was happening and what she needed. She immediately discerned that the baby was in distress, but despite the urgency and gravity of the situation she delivered her with the expertise and command of a seasoned obstetrician. Once the baby was born but not breathing, Susan began working on her intensely, applying oxygen and massaging her tiny heart, and not giving up until the baby began to gasp and turn pink. Susan, you were terrific. Then the rest of you took the baby and got her breathing on her own. AMT Humphrey intubated her, and we are still astounded by our good fortune to have had someone there with the training and ability to do that. The rest of you were so busy that we felt like we were on the set of ER. We are still a little unclear on exactly what each of you did in those frantic minutes, because we were so frightened ourselves, but we are certain that each of the 10 of you, acting as one extraordinary and heroic team, saved our baby's life, and that without you she would not be with us today.

The baby's name is Michelle Mann Loree. She weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and is gaining weight by the minute. She was kept in ICU at North Shore Hospital for 6 days while the neo-natalogists, neurologists and pediatricians conducted every conceivable test for any tissue, neurological, or other type of damage that might have resulted from her not breathing in those few minutes of life, and the doctors all agreed that she was absolutely fine. More than that, she is strong, alert and is simply a very happy and adorable baby.

So thank you once again for responding to our call for help, and for everything you did for us. You not only saved Michelle's life, which would have been a stunning achievement by itself, but you did it with professionalism, compassion, dedication and class. You are all truly deserving of the name "Nassau's Finest." But you will always be known to us as our angels.

Lori and Phil Loree