12/24/2025
Meet Camila, a Whitehouse Station resident whose story reminds us how fragile life can be—and how powerful compassion, skill, and teamwork truly are.
In the early morning hours of an October day, Camila suddenly became gravely ill while driving. Trusting her instincts, she called her husband to tell him something wasn’t right. Moments later, she became unresponsive. Her husband called 9-1-1.
Our crews arrived within minutes of locating the vehicle to find Camila in cardiac arrest. In that moment, every second mattered.
Immediate, high-quality CPR and life-saving care was started by FF/EMT Pat Paul and Assistant Chief Brad Fagan. With the support of Lieutenant Billy Wallace, FF/EMT Evan Lundy, Deputy Chief George Liothake, and Deputy Chief Harrison Laverty, Camila was rushed to the hospital. Along the way, Hunterdon Medical Center Paramedics Rory Hudock and Sarah Pirozzoli met the ambulance and continued relentless efforts to bring her back.
Through extraordinary teamwork, determination, and care, Camila regained a pulse. She was admitted and treated by the exceptional emergency and hospital staff at Hunterdon Medical Center. After more than 20 long days—days filled with uncertainty, hope, and perseverance—Camila was discharged to rehabilitation. Today, she has made a full recovery and is home where she belongs, embracing life with her two young sons.
Cardiac arrest caused by a pulmonary embolism is often sudden and devastating, and outcomes like this are heartbreakingly rare. This is a story of people refusing to give up—on a stranger, on a mother, on a life.
We are profoundly grateful to every responder and medical professional involved. Your skill, compassion, and dedication turned a moment of unimaginable fear into a story of survival and hope.
Not pictured: DC Laverty and AC Fagan
