When our daughter was one, we woke up in the middle of the night to find her having a seizure due to a high fever. At the time, my husband and I were new parents and inexperienced to say the least. Being woken up in the middle of the night is never an enjoyable experience. But when your young child is having a medical emergency, the situation is shocking and terrifying.
Somehow, I managed to find my cell phone and immediately dialed 9-1-1. As we told the dispatch operator that our daughter was having a seizure, I recall every minute waiting for the ambulance felt like an eternity. Finally, the EMTs (emergency medical technicians) arrived, and they were able tend to our daughter. This was the scariest night of our lives. But luckily our daughter has been able to grow out of her febrile seizures over the years.
I recently learned that Hopewell Township has secured $600,000 in state grants to upgrade its 9-1-1 system. I felt a moment of relief knowing that if we ever needed to dial 9-1-1 again in the middle of the night, our call would be promptly taken and not lost to an antiquated system. I know first-hand that every minute and second in an emergency is very important.
Thanks to [Hopewell Township] Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, Committee Member David Chait and others, Township Administrator George Snyder, and the support of our State Assembly Representatives: Anthony Verrelli (D-15) and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-15) and State Sen. Shirley Turner. (D-15).
I am grateful as a Hopewell Township resident for these critical upgrades and improved safety for our children and all of our residents.
Helen Young
Hopewell Township
