FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — It seemed like a typical night for Adrienne Relf and her fiancé. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. The couple ate dinner, and later went to sleep.
“I woke up in the middle of the night, actually,” Adrienne Relf said. “And, I had a bad headache, but having the headaches before, I didn’t pay too much attention.”
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Her fiancé said she was acting funny. Relf kept stating it felt like ‘the worst headache of her life.’ So, he called 911.
“They were there within five minutes of when he called, and they said on the way they were diagnosing in their head,” Relf said.
Luke Powell and Chris Youngman were the two firefighter/paramedics that responded.
“I looked up at him. He looked at me and we both kind of got on the same page,” Luke Powell said. “We both realized by her explaining that she was having a severe headache, that happened all of a sudden, that she was more than likely having a stroke.”
Powell and Youngman got her out the door in minutes.
“I just kinda remember, kind of felt like I was flying,” Relf said. She was rushed to Baptist Medical Center’s stroke unit in downtown Jacksonville. Powell and Youngman were communicating with hospital staff on the ride there.
“The crew was bringing the patient over. In route, she actually stopped breathing,” Dr. Nima Aghaebrahim said. “She was not able to breathe very well, so they had to put a tube in for breathing.”
Relf suffered a brain aneurysm.
“Her outcome would’ve been vastly different had the paramedics not done such an amazing job,” Wendy Camp said. She’s the director of the stroke program at Baptist Health. “She had a very serious brain injury that required immediate intervention and stabilization. The paramedics and EMTs were able to work quickly to stabilize her, and then get her to the hospital.”
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Relf wanted to personally thank the people who saved her life. Action News Jax reporter, Meghan Moriarty, along with the Fernandina Beach Fire Department and Baptist Health wanted to arrange that.
“We’ll get contacted from our EMS liaison at the hospitals and they let us know ‘hey your patient made it’ and that’s about it,” Powell said.
The team, along with Relf, was able to reunite on Wednesday.
“Today she’s just walking around perfect,” Chris Youngman said. “It’s pretty cool to see.”
Powell and Youngman were awarded for their quick, lifesaving efforts. The two were recognized by the Trinity Love Hoblit Foundation.
The Amelia Island nonprofit supports and funds neuroscience research for pediatric and adult patients receiving treatment at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Baptist Neurological Institute, Baptist Health and other similar facilities.
“People apologize ‘hey, I’m sorry to call you guys for this.’ It’s our job. It’s not an inconvenience,” Powell said. “It’s what we do. So, if you don’t feel right and there’s something wrong, just give us a call.”
You can find information about strokes and how to spot the signs here.
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