Carroll Gardens Resident Thanks Downstate LICH EMS Crew Who Saved His Life

George and Sonia, Downstate LICH EMS

George, Tony, Dolores and Sonia

What a difference a week makes. On October 6th, my good friend and Carroll Gardens neighbor Tony suffered a massive heart attack and went into cardiac arrest. Thankfully, George and Sonia, two Downstate Long Island College Hospital EMS workers, were able to revive him and brought him to LICH, where doctors treated his coronary artery blockage by inserting stents.

When Tony came home just days after this big scare, he told me about George and Sonia and how thankful he was to them. "They came a few times to check on me while I was in the hospital."

This past Saturday, exactly a week after he almost lost his life, Tony and his wife Dolores were walking on Court Street when they ran into George and Sonia. I don't need to tell you that it was a rather joyful reunion.  Tony later sent me the photos above.

I would personally like to thank George and Sonia for all of their hard work and for saving Tony. He is one of the nicest man I have ever had the pleasure to meet and life on my block just wouldn't be the same without him and his big smile.

I am sure everyone in the neighborhood knows that Long Island Hospital has had many financial problems and almost closed its doors just a few years ago. It survived by merging with SUNY Downstate Medical Center just last year, but this July, there were more layoffs.
We should all make sure that we support our neighborhood hospital so that people like George and Sonia can continue saving lives.