When this woman from Massachusetts ordered a pizza on a Friday evening, she didn’t have a clue that the quick thinking and kindness of the delivery driver would change her life.
The woman, Caryn Sullivan, placed the call for a late dinner on one February Friday and a driver from Door Dash, Sophia Furtado, made the delivery.
The address was a small community in the West Island Fairhaven on Buzzards Bay, some 20 miles southeast of Fall River.
According to Furtado, this was a normal night for her and she was close to the end of the shift.
Furtado Saves Sullivan’s Life
When Furtado got to Sullivan’s home around 10 pm, she saw Sullivan lying on the floor outside and bleeding from her head. Sullivan, who previously suffered from an arm injury and a bad knee, was waiting for her delivery outside.
But, as she turned back, she recounted and the arm and knee gave out. She fell down and hit her head. She recalled later that she remembers lying down on the driveway and thinking that this is it.
Luckily, Furtado had medical knowledge from her time as an Emergency Medical Technician training; however, she had failed the test for the National Registry.
She was able to see that her blood from Sullivan was congealing and that she was some 15 to 20 minutes on the floor. The woman wasn’t responsive and she was rolling her eyes to the back of her head, according to Furtado.
At some point, she thought she was going to lose her. The woman’s husband was asleep inside their home but he woke up to the calls for help from Furtado.
She instructed him to bring her some supplies and she called 911. Officer Jillian Jodoin from the Fairhaven PD said that Furtado was speaking to the ambulance while administering help.
Sophia was a part of the team in helping out the woman, according to Jodoin. She asked Furtado if she could stabilize her neck so that her spine is kept safe.
Immediately, Sophia responded that she was not going anywhere. Soon after the call, the medics and officers came and Furtado stayed with the woman until she was transported safely to the hospital.
Sullivan notes that she was in the hospital for three weeks after this incident and that she had suffered two major brain bleeds.
Her daughter and Robert were there the whole time. The two of them waited until 2 am to hear from the doctors if she was going to make it.
Recovery, Friendship, and Rewards
After Sullivan’s time spent in the hospital, she was released home in March.
However, she couldn’t drive, walk, or write. Despite being released as recovered, she’s still improving some things after she lost 60 percent of her hearing.
She can now drive short distances. Despite this horrible experience, Furtado and Sullivan became friends. Sullivan says of Furtado that she’s her guardian angel and that she’s very thankful for her.
She knows that if it weren’t for her, she would’ve probably died. The women met each other’s families and Sullivan gave Furtado’s kids gifts for Easter.
What’s more, Furtado was deservingly recognized at a ceremony organized by the police. DoorDash awarded her with a $1000 educational grant.
A spokesperson for the company emphasized that Furtado’s care and fast action were heroic and that they’re honored to appreciate her for her amazing, lifesaving efforts.
The Fairhaven PD also awarded Furtado. She did so much, from putting herself in action, alerting the woman’s husband, activating the emergency response system, giving help to finding the needed materials, and helping officers gather information. She really saved a life.
Furtado was surprised by the recognition and said she didn’t expect this at all and notes that she would do this for everyone.
She hopes to use the money from the reward for EMT school once her family’s financial situation improves. She and Sullivan will stay in touch and meet again soon.
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