Two paramedics were seriously injured following a crash between the ambulance they were in and a transport truck in rural eastern Ontario earlier this week.
A fundraiser online identified the two emergency responders as Mya Nichols and Zoraiz Rehman of Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services. On Feb. 2, around 3:00 p.m., police arrived at a serious two-vehicle collision.
The incident happened at the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 62 in Madoc, Ont., north of Belleville.
According to the fundraiser created by Samantha deHaan, Nichols was driving the ambulance and took “the full force” of the crash with the transport truck. She was unconscious and was later transported to a trauma centre by Ornge Air Ambulance as a result.
On Feb. 4, the GoFundMe notes that she remains in critical condition in the ICU.
“She suffered multiple small brain bleeds, which have miraculously stopped on their own,” deHaan wrote. “Her intracranial pressures are being closely monitored and remain stable. While there is still uncertainty surrounding the full extent of her injuries, she has already made meaningful progress.”
At the time of the incident, Rehman jumped into action. He was seriously injured but managed to get out of the ambulance, call 911 and — “in a true testament to his character,” the fundraiser notes —check on the two people who were in the transport truck.
“What followed is something no first responder ever expects: paramedics providing life-saving care to their own partners, colleagues, and friends.”
Rehman suffered multiple spinal fractures, internal injuries and severe cuts. He was discharged from the hospital on Feb. 4.
The fundraiser was created to aid the paramedics’ families. The money will be split 50/50.
“Both Mya and Zoraiz are phenomenal paramedics. But more importantly, they are extraordinary human beings,” deHaan said. “They lead with compassion. They serve with integrity. They show up for strangers on the worst days of their lives without hesitation. They would both give the shirt off their backs to anyone in need — and countless times, they have.”