To the First Responders: Thank You

An Unexpected Crash

This is why I respect and support first responders as CEO of bath. cut. brush. This right here. Last week I crashed my SUV 15 minutes from my home on my way to pick up my child from camp. I was making a left hand turn at a corner where you could only go left or right. I looked both ways, and while there were two cars turning onto the road I was coming from, they may have blocked the car that then hit me as I was turning. This car left no skid marks on the road. Distracted much? He was going too fast to react, and therefore couldn’t brake when my car turned in front of him.

His truck essentially t-boned my SUV. He hit right into the driver’s side door, which crumpled into me and deployed the side air bag. It was milliseconds. I barely turned away from the impact, and the first thing I felt was my head hit by the airbag. The crash was the loudest noise I’ve heard in my life. Once everything stopped, I immediately felt pain in my lower back and then neck. Then I noticed the blood on my hand and bits of glass everywhere.

First Responder Assistance

The first paramedic on the scene was very calm and caring as she peered in at me from the other side of the deflated air bag. I believe her name was Katie. Another woman (Amy? who seemed to be a bystander or witness) helped me call my mother in law to ask her to pick up my daughter and bring her home. I couldn’t move and was in shock, shaking. A fireman tried to open the door, but had to use a tool to get it open. They then put a neck brace on me, and after a few minutes, luckily I could get out of the car and sit down on the gurney with some assistance. There were shocked faces around me, including the face of the man who hit me, though he didn’t say anything, which seemed odd. He didn’t seem hurt.

Compassionate Care From First Responders

Once in the ambulance, I was given an IV and started to feel extremely dizzy and lightheaded, a very scary experience. The paramedic, named John, helped keep me calm and asked a lot of questions. It wasn’t until I was being wheeled through the emergency room that I started to tear up. My husband was out of the country and wouldn’t even know about this for about 7 hours due to the time difference.

Everyone in the ER was caring and helpful, including the CT technician, nurses and doctors. Everyone did their job quickly and efficiently and even with care, for which I am very grateful. It could’ve been worse, but also, should never have happened. But it does, and that is why these first responders are even more special to me now, and why I appreciate what they do. This experience just reinforces why I feel the need to help first responders to get into business for themselves.