A 2-year-old Massachusetts girl died earlier this year because of the shortage of ambulances and trained medics in the Boston area.
Yuna Feeley had a respiratory illness when she went limp and stopped breathing on January 26.
Her mother immediately called 911 seeking an ambulance. About seven minutes later, a fire crew arrived at her home.
When the firemen realized that Yuna needed life support care that only trained EMS could provide, they radioed for an ambulance.
After 23 minutes, a firefighter decided to drive Yuna to the hospital while two colleagues performed CPR on the toddler.
Yuna was pronounced dead upon arrival at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“Our hearts go out to Yuna Feleley’s family. This was a devastating incident for everyone involved and our crews did everything possible to help that day,” a spokesperson for Action Ambulance, the private company that provides ambulance service to Winthrop, said.
“The EMS system in Massachusetts and across the country is stressed due to an increase in calls, staffing challenges, and backlogs in our hospital emergency rooms.”
An autopsy revealed that Yuna died from a severe lung infection known as ‘necrotizing pneumonia’ worsened by a respiratory virus.
“[She] deserved an ambulance and paramedics who could have possibly done more,” Yuna’s grieving mother said.
