Fae loved to make breakfast in the morning and eat in the comfort of her backyard. It was on such an occasion a few weeks ago that 91-year-old Fae made her way to her yard. She put her food on the table in the back and returned for something in the kitchen when she suddenly slipped and fell off her porch onto her car, wedging her elbow between the wheel and the wheel well. She had fallen so forcefully that she was unable to be free herself.
Fae's cries for help went unanswered, and the darkness of her carport made it difficult for anyone passing by to see her. Though she was panicked, Fae remembered the medical alert device around her wrist that her children had convinced her to wear. Fae managed to press the button on the device.
Marva, an AvantGuard operator, responded to the call. "Fae, this is Marva, do you need help?" Marva asked, and repeated three more times without any answer. Fae was unable to hear or be heard through her base station inside the house.
Following protocol, Marva quickly called EMS to check on Fae. "With no response, it's impossible to know the problem," Marva said. "As an operator, we're taught to err on the side of caution."
The local police and fire department arrived quickly to the home and soon discovered Fae in the carport, unable to move. Two of the responders were able to lift the front of the car frame while the other men gently moved Fae and checked her injuries. Fae was scratched, bruised and in pain, but determined to finish her breakfast in the backyard.
"I'm so grateful to have my 'Friend', said Fae, referring to her device. "I can't thank those that helped me enough."
We'd like to thank Marva, local EMS, and the provider of Fae's medical device for saving the day.
