Grateful Patient

The need for emergency medical services can arise abruptly, and the staff at River Hospital in Alexandria Bay, NY, are always pleased to hear success stories from grateful patients. Mr. Paul DuFlo, of Cape Vincent, NY, shares one such story.

“On June 6th of this year, while I was simply folding laundry, I noticed pain in my left wrist,” says Mr. DuFlo. “In moments that pain began shooting up my arm and was spreading rapidly. In four or five minutes, I was writhing on the floor.

Something was terribly wrong, and I texted my daughter asking her to take me to River Hospital for help.”

Unbeknownst to him, Mr. DuFlo was experiencing a heart attack, followed by a stroke.

“When we got to River Hospital’s Emergency Entrance, I was barely conscious,” he continues. “Still, I could tell that my care was in the best of hands. From the moment we arrived, the emergency staff was calm but moved swiftly, working efficiently to diagnose my condition and begin treatment. I’ve rarely ever seen their level of teamwork and professionalism. That alone helped me to feel like everything was going to work out.”

“In particular, I remember one staffer whose name was Lance. He was calling the shots, and I could tell that he knew exactly what he was doing. While the team worked, they administered aspirin and nitroglycerine. At the same time, they were arranging for transport; I lost consciousness, and woke up at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, where my treatment was completed.”

“Over the years, River Hospital has helped me on four separate occasions, including this one,” recalls Mr. DuFlo. “My experience with the constellation of services that they offer has been highly positive. I’ve confirmed independently that the treatment I received in this case was on par with the best of hospitals, and that it saved my life. I am an extremely grateful patient and a cheerful donor to River Hospital.”

Do you have a River Hospital success story that you’d like to share? Contact River Hospital’s Executive Director of Development, Stephanie Weiss, at sweiss@riverhospital.org, or call 315-486-2920.

By Wayne C. Strauss

Wayne C. Strauss retired after 21 years as Vice President of Oppenheimer Funds in Rochester, New York. An attorney licensed to practice in the State of New York, Wayne has also held several securities licenses. He has served on the Board of Directors and as a Proctor for Rochester Area Mensa, and as a member of the adjunct faculty at St. John Fisher University in Rochester. An Eagle Scout and member of Toastmasters International, he spends as much time as possible aboard his boat “Convexity,” in the Thousand Islands. See Wayne's newest article here and here on the old site.

[Editor’s note: No matter the time of year, it is stressful for those who have to visit an ER. This month TI Life was asked if we would share a Grateful Patient story with our readers. I felt that doing so as we begin 2024 is important since the hospital staff and first-responders who serve our River residents are vital to our communities. We join in thanking them for their dedication. We are fortunate to have three hospitals on the River: River Hospital in Alexandria Bay, NY, the Brockville General Hospital in Brockville, ON, and the Kingston General Hospital in Kingston, ON.]

Posted in: Volume 19, Issue 1, January 2024, Essay