MC Rescue Squad gave great service

Editor:

Our family is eternally grateful to Jennifer Alexander, Bill Hamm and Steve Hartman, the first responders of the Madison County Rescue Squad and Robbie Clark and Kevin Hertzler, and all who saved my husband’s life on Monday, Oct. 26.

Clarence Baker, my husband, was driving to Culpeper. As we approached a light on U.S. 29 opposite MWP in Madison, he stopped talking in the middle of a sentence and his head slumped forward. Our daughter and son-in-law, in the back seat, coached me to grab the wheel, put the car in neutral, steer into the right turn lane, and put it in park.

As they jumped out and opened his door, released his seat belt and tilted his seat back, I put an aspirin under his tongue. They carried and dragged him around the back of the car and laid him beside the road, whacking his head once on the pavement, in the process. That made him gasp; a good thing. Mary Diane started CPR while John dialed 911.
A car pulled up and four young ladies came running, calling out, “We are nurses, can we help?” They took over until Madison rescue arrived, in precious minutes. The team worked furiously, inserting catheters, endotracheal tube, giving oxygen; medications, give defibrillations, the works. He finally responded to the second dose of epinephrine.

He was transported to Culpeper ER where he was stabilized, then moved to ICU for more wonderful care from everyone involved. Tuesday evening he was transported to the UVa medical Center where they did a heart catheterization and installed three stents to open 99 percent and 75 percent blockages. He is home now and recovering nicely.

We and all Madison County residents are blessed to have these outstanding qualified volunteers in our rescue squad. And if the nurse angels from heaven would indentify themselves, we would love to thank them personally as we will do with the squad.

I pray God will bless them all.

I hope our story will inspire many to learn CPR, as our daughter’s immediate action saved her fathers life.

Rose M. Baker (Mrs. Clarence E. Baker)
Aroda