Tag: emergency

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That phone call I wish I took

It’s Summerstage Saturday, and we make a late ditch effort to get up to Central Park to catch one of my favorite NY Hip Hop artist’s: Q-Tip. He’s rocking a show today and as we walk up at 2:30 pm, the line to get in, is horrendously long. This is typical for many big acts, and if you’re not in the park by 12 for them, you’ll most likely be enjoying a good sun tan in line, rather than the show going on 2 football fields away.

We packed a cooler of wine and beer, snacks and a large blanket, and join the smart people just outside the venue under the trees. Even though you can barely see the stage, you can hear the show just as well, and the park around the venue is always filled with fans you can head nod with when “Electric Relaxation” drops.

The Q-Tip show off the hook and one of my fonder concert moments in the park next to hearing Beastie Boys. Being so into it, I missed a call from mom and was able to check the voicemail about an hour after it was left.

As it starts, I could barely hear the message, the noise of sniffling and obvious concern was all I could hear as there was still music playing. I knew instantly something was wrong and ran clear of the stage to hear the rest of the message. What I could make out was my father was in a motorcycle accident, was airlifted to a hospital and Mom wasn’t sure if he’d make it.

At that moment everything around me disappeared.

I replayed the message over and over to get what ever info I could and called her back. First home – no answer- and then the cell which went straight to voicemail. I called my sister and left her a short frantic message: “What happened to dad? Call me back!” Called mom again. Called my uncle but he’d changed his number. Called my cousins – voicemail again. Called my neighbors and again, no answer. I’m in the dark…

My heart has sunk, I’m lost, confused, don’t know anything except that all I know is my Dad is dying. I continue to call the people I know with no result as I walk back to our party blanket. The party is over and I let my friends know I need to go.

Hungry and uninformed, we take a cab (still in cell phone range) down to Curry Hill to get some food, but I’m uncertain I’ll be able to eat. I already contemplate looking for flights home on Sunday but want to hear news first before I book. While I’m sitting at Dhaba staring at food I should eat but can’t stomach right now…. then finally I receive the call.

My mom’s been in the ICU and hasn’t been able to call me. She’s distraught, uncertain of the outcome of my father but she’s spoken to him and he seems to be positive. Apparently he went out early in the day to Carnegie to meet a friend, that was late and decided to hit the trails solo. After 30 min, he started to hit some big trails and got into trouble coming down a hill and rolled the ATV coming off too fast on a berm. Bouncing down a hill, he was banged up and with no one around, crawled a mile or two until someone else found him. Paramedics were called and he needed to be air lifted to the hospital, where they were “working on him” to keep him alive. Serious.

Mom was having trouble articulating but apparently he’s broken 8 ribs, shoulder, leg and the most serious a punctured lung which is filling with fluid. He’s not in pain with all the morphine pumping but has come out of surgery and already calling to make sure the ATV, gas tank and his gear is not stolen. I’m going to talk with him today and determine if I need to head out there on Monday.

My thoughts, love and prayers are going out to my father for a complete recovery.

A Tribe Called Quest: Electric Relaxation
[audio:Electric_Relaxation.mp3]

A Tribe Called Quest: Stressed Out (LP Version)
[audio:Stressed_Out.mp3]

Photo credit to Peter Ruprecht

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What do you do when you find a guy passed out?

Today I was walking back from a meeting in Tribeca when passing Canal on W. Broadway I spot a guy passed out hanging off the curb, behind a pretzel street vendor. The guy had a cart and was wearing unwashed clothes so I assumed he was homeless. Standing over him was a traffic cop, a passerby and the vendor, all seemed to be arguing or trying to decide what to do.

I made the assumption he wasn’t dieing (because no one was working on him) and I also assumed that the cop had either called some assistance or was at least taking control of the situation. However, I was put off by the situation because the vendor was arguing with the cop to get the guy moved, saying it was killing his business and the cop was not willing to do anything until someone “more qualified” had arrived. The passerby seemed to be there just for curiosity sake and the cop had no interest in the person laying on the ground.

I had mixed feelings in that, I wondered if there was something more that could be done, however, seeing that a person of public moral authority was involved (a traffic cop) I assumed this situation would be resolved with the man’s health and safety of utmost priority. I walked away not feeling so certain.

Several weeks ago, I was passing Rue 57 in MidTown and about a quart of a block up, I witnessed a older gentleman walking towards me. Then with no warning, grab his chest and fall limp to the ground. Several people around him saw this and immediately rushed to roll him over and check if he was breathing, a pulse and if he was ok. As I speed up my walk closer these same people were readily available to go to this persons need, without knowing him checking his safety and calling for assistance (9-1-1).

Thinking this through, what would you do if you came across a guy passed out on the street. I think the initial (or more careful) reaction is to assess their own safety first before getting involved. For instance, is the guy passed out in a dark alley way or in plane view of others, does he look menacing, dirty, homeless, or is he dressed as a businessman. Also would you be in danger of the same result (something falling from a building, or this person had fallen on something). Some however, feel the urge to save their fellow man before thinking if they themselves would be at risk.

In the case of the man in midtown, he was older, white and seemingly more affluent. Those close by were not threatened by his appearance and it seemed apparent he was suffering from a heart attack or some other affliction that required an ambulance. In the case of the homeless man, he was also older, black and not affluent. Additionally his symptoms of ailment were not immediately known (passers by might assume he was passed out from drugs, alcohol or just sleeping).

In any event, I would go to the aid of a fellow person and have done this in the past. When I was a kid, I saved another kid from drowning at camp. The event itself was a little traumatic and I have a hard time remembering all the details. Ever since, I’ve made sure I’m CPR certified. If you’re not, it’s a great skill to have just in case to save a friend, family member or other person in need.

How-to-steps for CPR
Better yet, find a class near you