Joseph’s Story: Emergency Medicine as Love-in-Action

…in the midst of tragedy love still works its glory; bringing awe into the most unlikely moments; calling forth the best of human nature, and weaving a tapestry of elements that leaves the participants with little doubt that a miracle has occurred.

LifeLine Ambulance Service of Woburn, MA. has additional satellite office locations in Arlington, Brighton, Concord, Framingham, Milford, Needham, Norwood, Peabody, Worcester and now in Bow/Concord, NH and Merrimack, NH.

They provide emergency and non-emergency Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support, Chair Car, Limousine transportation and a wide variety of other health care related services. Lifeline, a generous supporter of CRUDEM/HSC is completing two Mobile Clinic Vans to be used in HSC’s outreach program.

Mercifully, Hôpital Sacré Coeur spawns many miracle stories; lives saved, families reunited, hope reignited. Not all the stories however recount the most hoped for outcomes, death is part of the human condition. Even so, in the midst of tragedy love still works its glory; bringing awe into the most unlikely moments; calling forth the best of human nature, and weaving a tapestry of elements that leaves the participants with little doubt that a miracle has occurred.
 

Sister Ann tells just such a tale.

March 25, 2011
Dear Dr. Kelly,
Our dear friend Joseph died yesterday, God rest him and console his wife and family. His wife told me he wished to see his young child and die among his family and friends. She was going to take him by truck and asked if there was any possibility of ambulance transport since he was so very ill.

I went off and who did I run into but Dr. Butler, who said we had two ambulance men from Massachusetts who were here for the week and were hoping to get some experience driving through the countryside, etc. as they intend donating an ambulance and it would be helpful to see the condition of the roads in Haiti.

So, to make a long story short, they were very happy to take Joseph home.

Before setting off on the journey to Gonniaves, at 5 am Joseph’s wife led us in praying the our Father in Creole and after five and a half hours journey, Joseph was home to his family, saw his little child and all his friends who were there to meet him. What a blessing!

The ambulance men, Brian J. Connor and Ted White of Lifeline Ambulance Company, were very delighted they could help Joseph and at the same time get a great experience of Haiti’s roads. They did the return journey in less than four hours.

I talked with Joseph’s wife at 6 am yesterday morning on my way to Mass and she told me that he had died that night in peace among his family and friends.
Thought I’d let you know as you too were very, very kind to him.

God bless.
Sr. Ann.

Brian Connor, Chief Executive Officer of Lifeline Ambulance and a 29 year veteran in the ambulance industry, watches over Joseph.

Ted White, Paramedic for Lifeline Ambulance, accompanies Joseph on his final journey home. Lifeline Ambulance Service is headquartered in Woburn, MA.