I was sitting in the front seat of an ambulance still shaking with shock as my nonna was strapped to the seat in the back. The parametric was light heartily trying to calm me down with cheesy jokes. Minutes before she was facedown, unresponsive in a pool of her own blood.
It started with a thud and a loud squeal, but by the time I ran out it was too late. Once I reached her she was half way down the stairs face first hitting every last step till she slid two feet when hitting the tile. I ran to her and screamed for my mom and when I looked down there was a pool of warm red blood surrounding her head like a halo. I told my mom to call 9-1-1, but she was in such shock I had to tell her three times before it clicked in. I took over, as my lifeguard training kicked in. I pinned her to the ground (in case of a spinal) and checked for her pulse. It was there, faintly, but she was still unresponsive and its been three minutes.
I press my forehead to her cheek, my face covered in blood as a result. I know one day she’d die, everyone does, but not like this, not in front of me.
When she finally started coming to she was groaning and loopy. I told her to stay still and when she was fully aware, this woman insisted on getting up to go to the washroom. she wouldn’t listen so I caved and told her to wiggle her feet and since she could move them I figured she would be okay to get up and walk, not having spinal damage. My mom and I helped her to her feet, slowly guiding her to the washroom.
The paramedics finally arrived and what took 15 minutes felt like a life time. They sat her on the couch and cut her shirt off to check her shoulder. This old fragile lady fell down 14 steps of wooden stairs face first, with kitting needles in her hand and as a result she dislocated her shoulder, got three stitches, bruised her hand and foot and had a shiner across her eye like a boxer punched her. No broken bones, no fractures, nothing serious, just pain. Looking back, as traumatic as it was all I can do is laugh. Every doctor kept saying how lucky she was, how everything could have been ten times worse. Her bones must be steal because that was a miracle. I’m not a religious person, but I prayed that night and I thanked whatever angel, god or prophet that was by her side. It was just not her time and I’m grateful for that.
Esspresso Yourself 