Eagles football fan Gregory Fulgione was reunited with the first responders who helped to save his life after he collapsed last fall at Alumni Stadium at a recent special event in the Heights Room. The first respondersāmembers of Boston College EMS, Boston College Police, TeamOps, and Armstrong Ambulanceāalso were recognized at the event by St. Elizabethās Medical Center, where Fulgione was successfully treated.
Fulgione, a father of an alumna and a football season ticket holder since 1982, went intoĢżcardiacĢżarrest at the start of the Ļć½¶Šć-Virginia Tech game on October 31. He was initially aided by a family friend and members of TeamOps, the outside organization that provides security and guest relations for Ļć½¶Šć Athletics event.
The first EMTs on the scene were Nicholas Favazza ā18, Rachel French ā17 and Andrew Bourque ā18, members of . Favazza used an AED (automated external defibrillator) on Fulgione.
āIt was the first time I used an AED on a real person,ā said Favazza, who has been with Ļć½¶Šć EMS since the spring of 2015. Bourque, who was on his first-ever shift for Ļć½¶Šć EMS, assisted Armstrong Ambulance personnel with the bag valve by setting up the oxygen tank.
St. Elizabethās Chief of Emergency Services Dr. Mark Pearlmutter, who treated Fulgione at the hospital, spoke at the March 23 recognition event. He praised all the first responders saying that āevery link in the chain of survival played a role. Each link is essential and the skills and coordination of each of those links and transition of care demonstrates the importance of the pre-hospital team thatās assembled here today.
āIt begins with increased community awareness and education. The Ļć½¶Šć community is a stellar example of this. The first responders to Mr. Fulgione played an integral part in his being able to join us today.
āItās a wonderful success story. Itās a culmination of efforts that started well before he got to the hospital. This expertise in the field gives those of us on the receiving end the ability to further conduct intervention to enhance a patientās ability to survive. Mr. Fulgione is a testament of those efforts.ā
St. Elizabethās Medical Center presented a silver bowl to each member of Ļć½¶Šć Police, Ļć½¶Šć EMS, TeamOps and Armstrong Ambulance involved with the save of Fulgione.
āWe do a lot of training to make sure, when the call comes in, weāre here,ā said EMT Richard Raymond, CEO of Armstrong Ambulance. āBefore each game, we work with Ļć½¶Šć EMS and Ļć½¶Šć Police to go over the āwhat ifs.āā
After treatment in the hospital and a rehabilitation facility, Fulgione was able to return home in December in time to celebrate his 86thĢż²ś¾±°ł³Ł³ó»å²¹²ā.
Fulgione attended the reunion event with his wife of more than 60 years, Eleanor, his three children and son-in-law, and the family friend who was the first person to start CPR on Fulgione.
ā[This event] has presented me with a golden opportunity to meet you and thank you,ā Fulgione said to the first responders in attendance.
According to Ļć½¶Šć EMS President Kevin Zirko ā16, this was the firstĢżcardiacĢżarrest save for Ļć½¶Šć EMS since it was established in 1997. A student-run organization, Ļć½¶Šć EMS provides emergency response coverage at more than 400 events per academic year. The SuddenĢżCardiacĢżArrest Association honored Zirko, French, Bourque and Favazza for their life-saving work at the 2016 National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation conference in Philadelphia.
Fulgioneās daughter, Lynne Garcia ā86, said her father is looking forward to next football season and is ādoing better than ever.ā
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The following members of the Boston College community were recognized for their life-saving efforts:
Boston College Police Department: Lieutenant Jeffrey Postell; Lieutenant Thomas King; Lieutenant Laurene Spiess; Staff Sergeant Kevin Croke; Officer Keith Holland; Officer David LoConte; Officer Anthony Cadogan; Officer Timothy O'Meara; Officer Kimberley Sirr; Detective Brian DeMayo; Detective Robert Connor; Dispatcher Adam Morrell and Dispatcher Michael Jones.
Emergency Preparedness & Management: John Tommaney and Eileen O'Donnell
Facilities: Daniel Murphy
Boston College EMS: Andrew Bourque; Nicholas Favazza; Rachel French; Kevin Zirko and John Fucigna.
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--Kathleen Sullivan | News & Public Affairs