Karin Hebert Sullivan called for a late dinner on Feb. 11, and DoorDash driver Sofia Furtado delivered the order to a small West Island Fairhaven community in Busards Bay, about 20 miles southeast of the Fall River.
“It was a normal night for me,” Furtado told CNN on Thursday, “I was almost at the end of my shift.”
But when she reached the house at about 10 pm, she noticed Sullivan lying on the ground outside, bleeding from his head. Sullivan, who had a previous arm injury and a bad knee, was waiting outside for the birth.
When she turned, she said, her arm and knee relaxed. She fell and hit her head on the way down.
“I remember lying in my driveway thinking, ‘It’s almost over,'” Sullivan recalled. “I was lying there and I saw a lot of white clouds.”
Furtado has previous medical knowledge from her time as an emergency medical technician, but has not passed the national register test. She noticed that Sullivan’s blood had hardened, and she thought she had been lying outside for about 15 to 20 minutes.
“Karin didn’t react and her eyes kept rolling to the back of her head,” Furtado said. “I felt like I was going to lose her.”
Sullivan’s husband, Robert, had fallen asleep in the house, but was awakened by Furtado’s calls for help. She told him to get some supplies while dialing 911.
According to police officer Gillian Jodoin of the Fairhaven Police Department, Furtado spoke with the dispatcher while providing assistance.
“At that point, Sofia became part of our team to help Karin.” Jodoin told CNN: “I asked her if she could continue to stabilize Karin’s neck to keep her spine safe, and she replied, ‘ “I am not going anywhere.” “
Soon after, officers and medics began to arrive. Furtado stayed with her until Sullivan was transported to the hospital.
Sullivan said she was in hospital three weeks after the incident and suffered two severe brain hemorrhages. Robert and her daughter Veronica were with her the whole time. At one point, she said the two waited until 2 a.m. to see if she would succeed.
Recovery, rewards and friendship
After his hospital stay, Sullivan arrived home in March. “I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t write, I could barely walk,” she said. Although she was considered fully recovered in late March, she is still working on some things after losing 60% of her hearing and is now able to drive short distances.
Despite the horrific experience, Sullivan and Furtado became friends during the trauma.
“I’m so grateful for her, she’s my guardian angel,” Sullivan said. “Thank God she was there. If she hadn’t been there, I would have been dead.” They both met the other’s family, and Sullivan even gave Easter to Furtado’s two children.
Furtado was recognized at a ceremony Wednesday. DoorDash awarded her a $ 1,000 education stipend.
“We are incredibly grateful to Ms. Furtado for intervening at a critical time and we are relieved that the client has recovered safely since then.” A DoorDash spokesman told CNN: “Ms. Furtado’s care and quick response was nothing. more than heroic, and we are honored to have been able to show our appreciation for her tremendous efforts. ”
Fairhaven police also presented her with a life-saving award.
“Sofia is on fire,” Robert warned, activating the emergency response system, implementing the necessary materials, helping and helping employees streamline information gathering. She saved a life, “FPD told CNN in a written statement.
The confession came as a surprise to Furtado.
“I didn’t expect it at all,” she said, “I would do this for anyone.”
Furtado had previously been a DoorDash driver and resumed work in January. She said she hopes to use the money for more EMT school when her family becomes more financially stable. She and Sullivan added that they would continue to keep in touch and plan to meet again.
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