Maxeene Marie Perrin was enjoying a late morning Friday snack at Church Avenue Day Services in Brooklyn when Venus Caprietta and Dorla Enriquez, Community Support Professionals, realized their life-saving skills were needed.
“It was no different from any other day at first,” Venus recalled. “Maxeene was eating her food a little too fast and I told her ‘Slow down, slow down.’ I noticed she wasn’t coughing like she usually does, and then I looked at her and saw something was wrong.”
Venus Caprietta with Dorla Enriguez, Church Avenue Day Services CSPs who saved a life.
Venus alerted Dorla, who called out “Maxeene, are you ok?!” They knew a choking incident was occurring when Maxeene could not verbally respond and motioned to her throat with both hands.
“Her color started to change,” Dorla recalled. After asking another colleague to call 911, Dorla instructed Venus to find the day center’s nurse. Dorla got behind Maxeene, who was seated in a chair, and knelt so she could wrap both arms underneath Maxeene’s sternum. Using firm upward thrusts, Dorla expertly performed the Heimlich maneuver with the goal of dislodging the object obstructing Maxeene’s breathing.
“All our training just kicked,” Dorla said. “I took three or four hard thrusts, and the piece of food just flew out. Maxeene started coughing and brought a little bit of phlegm, which the nurse later said was normal.”
Maxeene went to the nurse’s office and EMTs arrived shortly thereafter. Dorla accompanied Maxeene to a local hospital to check on her vital signs, but she was cleared with little more than muscle and rib soreness and was swiftly discharged. The pair even returned to the program later that day!
“What This Profession is All About”
Venus and Dorla’s quick thinking and adherence to AHRC NYC’s first aid training protocols saved Maxeene’s life and demonstrated the irreplaceable presence that all direct care workers provide to people with disabilities and their families.
“When EMS arrived, they said Venus and Dorla did everything right,” remarked Jeanelle Hector, Church Avenue’s Program Director, at a small gathering saluting their heroic efforts a couple of weeks later. “The representative at the Justice Center said ‘Thank you for reporting this. This is the most amazing story we’ve heard. Thank you for uplifting us.’
Jeanelle added “Dorla and Venus were the perfect people to lead that situation. It is what this profession is all about.”
The bonds formed with people like Maxeene are what has kept Dorla coming back to work for the past five years.
