Margie, Interrupted

Margie and I decided to repeat last week’s excursion (she didn’t remember it, and I thought why not). So we walked together to Jamison Square. She waited on a bench while I bought our affogatos, and when I returned with them, we talked about moving to have a better view of the children playing in the water. There are four double benches, each with one side facing the water feature where the children play, and the other facing the street. We stood up to move, and Margie said, “Wait. There’s a couple there, having a private moment.” She winked, and I looked closer.

On next bench facing the street was a woman putting a hypodermic needle into the neck of a man who was leaning into her shoulder. Margie didn’t realize what they were doing, and I nodded and said let’s stay where we are. We continued delighting in the children playing in the water. 

As we were finishing our treat, a woman walking her dog shouted, “Hey! Is that guy OK?” pointing to the man who had been receiving the injection. The woman next to him nodded and muttered he was fine, but the woman with the dog ignored her and shouted again, “He’s overdosing! Help! Help! Overdose!” Margie, who had her hearing aids in but must have had them turned down low, didn’t notice any of this. She was fascinated by the children playing in the water, probably remembering her own adventures at Camp Mikan. The next few moments were amazing.

A man came running up and called 911 on his phone. I realized I should have done that, but it was all happening quickly, and the man was on it before I could think. He shouted, “What’s the name of this park?” I told him, and he spoke it into the phone. 

The dog-walker gave the man her dog leash and stretched the unconscious man out on the bench, making his girlfriend move aside, though the girlfriend could barely stand up. The dog-walker started pounding on the man’s chest with her two hands clasped together. Another woman who had been passing on a bicycle came over with her helmet on and said, “I’m a physician. Do you need help? Does he still have a pulse?” 

“Yes, please!” from the dog-walker. Then the physician-in-helmet started administering CPR, but the man was unresponsive. Another woman materialized from nowhere with a box of Narcan nasal sprays. They gave him one. No response. Another Narcan and the man’s stomach started heaving but he was still unconscious. A man pushing a baby carriage opened a bottle of water and poured it on the unconscious man’s face and exposed chest. A woman with a baby strapped to her chest came over and said to the physician-in-helmet, “Do you need help? I’m a physician.” The helmeted woman said “No, I think I’ve got this, but maybe stand by.”

I watched, amazed that so much help came so quickly. I thought how lucky the man was, to have been in this park near two physicians, someone with a box of Narcan sprays, and someone who knew how to recognize an overdose.

Margie was blissfully unaware of what was happening until a fire truck pulled up and five firefighters came over and began caring for the man, whose girlfriend was unsteady on her feet, unable to talk. At this point Margie realized something was going on. I explained it to her, and we stood up to leave. The whole episode had taken less than ten minutes. As we were walking back to Margie's apartment, an ambulance passed us, going in the direction of the park we had just left.

I wish everyone who overdosed could have such good fortune. And note to self: learn to recognize an overdose, and start carrying Narcan spray in the camera bag. I made no photos at the park. The one I’m using is from the hallway outside the physical therapist’s office, made earlier in the day.

P.S. Thanks for your empathy yesterday. I'm glad Sue and I are going to the coast tomorrow. It will be good to be by the ocean.

P.P.S. Today is the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, when 700,000 Palestinians were driven out of their homes to make way for the new State of Israel. Now 1.5 million Palestinians are displaced and nearly 40,000 dead since October 7. I bow my head in respect and sorrow.

P.P.P.S. If you have not seen sgwarnog's football photo posted yesterday, you really must have a look. It's the funniest football photo I've ever seen! Magnificent in its absurdity. Apologies for such a long post, but don't miss that one for a laugh.