(Editor's Note: The following letter was originally addressed and sent to Mayor Robert Mezzo. The content has been published its entirety although personal information has been omitted). 

Dear Mayor Mezzo,

In Thursday's edition of the Republican American, there was an article regarding the budget issue involving the Naugatuck EMT. I wrote an account of my recent experience, with our local paramedic and team who saved my life. My intention is to share this story with you and the Joint Boards of Mayor and Burgesses and Finance Board, in the hope that it will implore you to grant the necessary funds to maintain the Naugatuck paramedic and prevent an intercept program. I hope this story of heroism will raise awareness, preserve our paramedic services in Naugatuck and have them properly funded for present and future generations. 

Thursday night at 1 a.m., I suffered a reaction and went into anaphylaxis. I didn't know what was happening because I didn't eat anything that I was aware I was allergic to. Out of nowhere, it felt like parts of my body were on fire. I was so hot and suddenly broke out in hives on my face down to my toes and my throat closed up. My boyfriend, Britt Erickson, retrieved my new EpiPen from the drawer and I administered it. It was ineffective. I needed professional intervention, immediately. My mother, Karen Alaburda, called 911 and the EMT showed up within seconds, administering oxygen, an IV and injecting epinephrine and steroids to open my lungs. Britt later explained to me the look of horror on the face of one of the responder’s when he saw my body red. They thought they were going to lose me and only had minutes, possibly seconds to save my life.

The responders gave me everything they had left in their box, pertaining to my situation. I exhausted their resources, one shot of epinephrine and one steroid. They said they were out of everything to help me and they had to get me to the hospital, quickly. I kept screaming, trying to make out the words, "No!" making their job even more difficult, fighting their help, because of the pain my body was in, it hurt to move, like stabbing knives. Two men picked me up and transported me onto the chair, buckling my body safely inside.  They carried my almost lifeless body down two flights of stairs.  I heard them say "Priority One" and it was the fastest I ever arrived at Waterbury Hospital. On the way, I used all the oxygen they brought, and they apologized, explaining there were no more oxygen tanks in the ambulance. They said they were rushing me to the hospital, as fast as they could, because they didn't have anything else left to give me. 

At Waterbury Hospital, the ER team stabilized me. The Naugatuck EMT returned to check in on me a little later. They were absolutely flawless in their job performance. I joked with them, "Give me your names, so I can write a letter to Town Hall and let them know what a good job you guys did saving my life, maybe they'll set aside more money in the budget for you." It was through this experience that I learned the paramedic position is currently in jeopardy of being removed from Naugatuck. Additional funding is needed. 

I had just moved back to Naugatuck from Florida, two weeks prior and was not even aware of the lack of funding. It terrifies me to think that if a paramedic wasn’t present; would I be here to even write this letter? If the paramedic position is removed and Naugatuck utilizes the intercept program, there will be a minimum of 7-8 minutes, at best, before a paramedic can arrive on the scene from Waterbury. A 7-8 minute delay, for anaphylaxis could cost a life! Time is of the essence when saving someone’s life. One life lost is one too many!  

It is of urgency that people know this could happen to anyone. Anyone is vulnerable in this town and may need the support of the EMT and paramedic one day. My life was spared, because of their expertise and valor. As I had mentioned, I had no idea what was in my system that caused the anaphylaxis. The allergic reaction began minutes after drinking a soda ordered from a local fast-food venue. Something may have slipped into the drink, or been contaminated with something I am allergic to.

The three men working with the Naugatuck EMT that evening were Paramedic William Blakley, AEMT Andrew McCutcheon and EMT Raymond McDonald. They are truly heroes to do so much with so little. I would like to express my gratitude to them by asking you to please find the necessary funds to retain the paramedic position at the Naugatuck Ambulance Inc. I thank you in advance for your consideration. 

Sincerely,

-Charity Alaburda
Naugatuck

(To read our article published today on the issue, click here).