By George Barnes
Telegram & Gazette (Massachusetts)
Copyright 2006 Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
ATHOL, Mass. — Although they’re often called on to save lives, two firefighters were honored last night for going above and beyond their jobs and saving the life of a local woman.
Fire Capt. Jeffrey Parker and Firefighter Keith Bouchard, who serve as emergency medical technicians on the Athol Fire Department Ambulance Service, were called out at 2 a.m. on Valentine’s Day to assist Karen A. LaBonte, 29, of 90 J St., who was giving birth to her son, Jasper, at home and started hemorrhaging after the child was born.
The two men assisted her at home and then took her to Heywood Hospital in Gardner for treatment.
In a letter that was partially read last night by Board of Selectmen Chairman Anthony Brighenti, Ms. LaBonte said she was in a semiconscious state when she arrived in the emergency room. She said she not able to get assistance from the emergency room staff. She also described the scene in the emergency room as confusing and disconnected.
Ms. LaBonte said she was growing concerned because she was unable to see a doctor — when the men who brought her to the hospital stepped in and assisted her.
“It was Keith and Jeff that appeared at my side,” she said in the letter. “They hadn’t left the hospital. They hadn’t left me to the wolves.”
The two firefighters comforted her, explained what was going on and stayed with her until a doctor was able to assist her.
“They gave me the medical attention I needed,” she said, “But more importantly, they treated me like a person, with love and kindness and gentleness. For that, words could never be enough to thank them.”
Ms. LaBonte credited the two firefighters with saving her life that morning.
“My two children could never thank them enough for giving me back to them,” she said. “My family and friends could never thank them enough for giving me back to them.”
In reading the letter, the final line nearly brought Mr. Brighenti to tears when he read it.
“And I could never say thank you enough to the two angels who came into my life in those early morning hours on Valentine’s Day,” she wrote.
Although critical of her treatment at the hospital, Ms. LaBonte did credit one nurse with treating her kindly and the work of Dr. Jeffrey Blake when he arrived to assist her.
The selectmen presented the two firefighters with certificates noting their efforts in helping Ms. LaBonte. After they received their awards from the selectmen, Ms. LaBonte, carrying her infant son, rushed up and hugged each of the two men.