My Second Chance as a First Responder.....

A few months back I posted an entry about how I had the opportunity to be a first responder.

Well, today I had my second opportunity.

I had spent the early afternoon packing up a few boxes to take over to our new apartment. I was carrying a box of wine glasses to my trunk, when I heard a girl scream across the street.

I look over and the girl is laying on the ground of the parking lot across the street. I yell over to her "Are you okay?" and she cries "No!". I toss the box in my trunk and run over to her. She had tried to jump over this chain link "rope" (for lack of a better term) and tripped, I wasn't sure what happened, but she was hysterical and kind of holding her arm. I asked her again if she was ok and she finally got the words out- "No". I asked her what she wanted me to do. I didn't want to leave her alone, but I didn't have my phone on me. I asked if there was someone I could call for her. She told me, through lots of crying, that her friends were eating in the restaurant around the corner. She asked if I could go get them and let them know that Mary was hurt. I ran to El Burrito Loco (the Mexican restaurant around the corner) and found her friends, told them Mary was hurt. They immediately jumped up and ran behind me, back to Mary.

One of the guys (who I think was her boyfriend), tried to look at her arm, but she starting yelling out in pain whenever he tried to touch or move her arm. It was then that I noticed the pool of blood gathering on the ground. I ran back to the restaurant and asked them for a clean towel. I knew we needed to get some pressure on that wound, even though I couldn't see it.

I got back to Mary and her friends, gave them the towel and the guy started to apply pressure on her arm. Of course, this made her just scream in pain. I felt so badly for her!!! One of the store owners across the street brought out a cell phone and I ended up calling 911.

I stood out there, waiting for the ambulance. Since it happened in a parking lot, we didn't have an exact address to give the dispatcher. The ambulance finally came, after what seemed like an eternity. Her boyfriend thought that she may have a compound fracture. Now, I'm not sure, but is that a fracture where the bone protrudes out of the skin? That would explain the extreme pain and bleeding.

Her parents showed up and were able to ride with her in the ambulance. I finished watching the scene from my living room window. I didn't want to stand down there, gawking at her, once I knew the paramedics were taking care of her. I told her friends that I hoped she felt better and went home.

After they got her on the stretcher and loaded up in the ambulance, I noticed one of the guys wiping his eyes. It was the guy who applied the pressure to the bleeding. That is what made me assume he was her boyfriend. He was so strong in front of her, not showing any panic or fear. Once she was in the ambulance, he just broke down. My heart went out to him. He did such an amazing job, staying strong for her when she needed him. I just broke my heart to know how worried he must have been about her.

I am just praying that everything turns out well for Mary. I'm thankful that I was there to help her.