– Photo courtesy of Clinton County EMS
The Clinton County EMS team that saved a young man’s life was reunited with the child and his family earlier this month by the trauma team at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis to allow for the team to reconnect with the family that they greatly impacted through their life-saving actions.
On Monday, April 8, the Clinton County EMS team was notified that a six-year-old Zavier Martinez from Kokomo was hit by a vehicle on South 5th Street in Frankfort, just north of West Freeman Street. Through the emergency response from the various law enforcement and medical services in the Frankfort area, Martinez was identified as having suffered threatening injuries that could lead to life-threatening developments without the immediate address of trauma teams. Paramedic Supervisor Reid Cripe and Emergency Medical Technician Megan Holliday were among the initial arrival of first responders to the scene where they identified the injuries as a liver laceration and a collapsed lung. Immediate action led to the EMS team working to stabilize Martinez and transport him to Indianapolis for critical care.
Clinton County EMS Director Steven Deckard commented about the reuniting of the EMS team and the family through the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, expressing that the team may only experience the opportunity to revisit those they save a few times in their career.
“Once we arrive at the hospital with a patient, that’s often the last our team will see of a patient,” Deckard said. “Oftentimes we don’t even know if they survived.”
Upon arrival at the hospital, Martinez was reportedly placed on life support for five days with a chest tube installed for six days to ensure his best chances of recovery. Since the visit between the EMS team, Martinez has reportedly been on the mend and is expected to make a full recovery.
In an act to ensure the EMS team was aware of the impact they had on the life of the child and the family, the trauma team at the hospital visited Clinton County for a surprise visit, which was under the facade of a case review on Wednesday, May 15. While the team was meeting with the trauma team, Cripe and Holliday were surprised and awarded challenge coins before being reunited with the Martinez family. Cripe stated that the reunion was a once-in-a-career opportunity that he will not forget as the experience is not a common occurrence in the EMS realm.
“This is the first patient I’ve ever been reunited with in my seven years as a paramedic,” Cripe said. “Prehospital care for trauma patients is critical. That first hour, called the Golden Hour, greatly determines the chances of recovery. I’m humbled to have been a part of it.”
Holliday echoed Cripe’s statements, adding that seeing Martinez in recovery was a blessing for the team that initially acted to save his life and ensure his well-being.
“The reunion was such a blessing since we don’t usually get to meet to see our patients after they leave our care,” Holliday said. “Being able to meet Zavier when he wasn’t hurting was so rewarding.”
Rosybel Martinez, Zavier Martinez’s mother, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to thank the EMS team in person for their actions that saved her son.
“My child was dying,” Martinez said. “They kept him stable until they got to the hospital. Without their care and expertise, Zavier would not have made it.”
The reunion was planned just before EMS week and was announced amongst praises by the community during the week spanning May 19 through May 25.