'It Was All God': Tinley Park Woman, Car Wash Manager Who Saved Her Life Meet Face-To-Face

TINLEY PARK, IL — It was all Stacey Doranski had wanted when she shared her story on social media.

A chance to find—and ideally thank in person—the 911 caller who had saved her and her baby's life with a 911 call placed on Christmas Eve. Their story has been shared across news outlets—online, print and even a radio interview—but this last piece had still been missing for Doranski.

On Monday, she held her 4-month-old daughter Piper as their hero walked toward them at Flipside Brewing in Tinley Park. Though they had spoken via a video call days earlier, it was their first opportunity to meet in person—and hug.

Doranski had wanted to meet Skyler Smith of Indiana, the Gas N Wash car wash manager who had found her that day, unconscious in the backseat of her car after having suffered a ruptured aneurysm at 36 weeks pregnant.

The two sat across from each other, Smith in a Gas N Wash polo, Doranski propping up Piper as she peered curiously from under a peach headband.

"I'm just so excited," Doranski said, of meeting him in person.

"I'm just blessed that she—this outcome—just look at that," Smith said, gesturing toward the mother and daughter.

Two strangers—three, if you include Piper—linked by a 911 call, connected at first by chance and now, by gratitude.

It had started with a social media post and a Tinley Park Patch story. Months after that call saved her life, Doranski found herself still looking for answers. She had tried to learn the caller's name from police who, in an effort to protect Smith's privacy, declined to disclose it. In a "Hail Mary" effort, she had turned to social media in hopes of finding him or—as she admits she first thought it would be—her.

"They couldn't tell me any information, but I have been trying to find out who it was, because—no disregard to men—but most of the time they look past," she said. "I'm like 'it's got to be a woman.'"

"It's my job," Smith said, matter-of-factly.

"It's more than your job," Doranski interjected. "You truly saved my daughter's life."

Smith is quick to bat away the praise.

"It was all God," he said. "That's all I can say. ... I'm just a regular guy."

"In my book, you're more than a regular guy," Doranski told him.

She looked down at Piper.

"She'll know who you are," she said.

"That's priceless," Smith said. "No money can amount to that—two lives. I can't even put a price on that."

Doctors discovered Doranski had suffered a brain bleed caused by a ruptured aneurysm. Specifically, a subarachnoid hemorrhage, or a life-threatening type of stroke caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain, usually from a ruptured aneurysm. It's said to cause a sudden, severe "thunderclap" headache, according to the Mayo Clinic. Immediate medical attention is vital, as it carries a high risk of death or permanent neurological disability.

"To have what I ended up having, the paramedic that was there said that most people don't even make it to an ambulance," Doranski said.

"... Not on my watch," Smith said of Doranski suffering lasting side effects. "As long as I was able to help, I was going to do everything in my power to make sure you were healthy."

Timing was critical in how it played out. As part of Smith's job, he's required to check trash bins and the grounds near the car wash every 20 minutes.

"But I'm the GM, so any time I can, I peek out, see what's going on with trash and vacuums, check on customers—'Hey, you need a towel? Hey, you need an air freshener?' And go about my day," Smith said.

Neither wanted to think about the outcome had he not checked right then.

"... if I had stayed there any longer," Doranski said, "I would not have been here, and she wouldn't be here either."

"That's why I say it's God, man," Smith said.

"It truly is God," Doranski reinforced.

A father of two children ages 8 and 10, Smith said he was relieved to hear that Doranski was safe and had delivered a healthy baby girl the next day.

"It actually made me want to go even harder at work, be more self-aware with customers," Smith said, "You know what I'm saying? Just being self-aware. Just being proactive, that's all I can say. Staying proactive at work. Anything can happen at work."

After learning that Smith is a father, Doranski said she's not at all shocked at how swiftly he moved that day.

"It does not surprise me at all," she said. "I hope that everyone can be like you and learn something from you."

As the two chatted for over an hour, they seemed less like strangers and more like old friends. They talked upbringings, parenting styles and life goals. Smith learned the Dunkin location inside his gas station is Doranski's favorite, that she frequents most mornings on her way to work as a dental hygienist at Advanced Family Dental in Frankfort.

Doranski handed Smith a gift and a letter, the latter handwritten by her manager in gratitude to him.

"I'm gonna frame it up in my house," Smith said.

Doranski later learned her condition is genetic on her mother's side. The size of the aneurysm, doctors said, indicates it had likely been growing for nearly 15 years. Her children will undergo regular, preventative CT scans beginning at 18 years old, she said.

But for now, Piper easily falls into a deep sleep in Doranski's arms.

"She needs Mama," Smith said.

"She needs me for comfort, but for smiles and giggles, Dad's all the way," Doranski replied.

Doranski repeatedly thanked Smith throughout their meeting.

"... I can't even put into words what you did for me and her," she stressed.

Smith again shirked the praise, his gaze going to Piper.

"She's givin' me baby fever!" Smith exclaimed. "I think I'm done, but that one is making me reconsider!"

Both said now that they've met, they're ready to close this chapter.

"I just want to do my good deed and go about my life," Smith said."I was there to send a message through so they can do their job. It's God and the surgeons making it happen."

"I'm grateful to everybody," Doranski said. "All my surgeons, you—everybody."

Smith nodded slowly.

"That's all I need," he said. "That's all I want. This is my job. I would do it time and time again for any customer."