OPINION: New Bedford woman uses CPR on OD victim, disappointed in how addict was treated

“I hate to talk about addiction on this page because people can be so simple-minded but here it goes:

Earlier this week as I was driving to Waterwizz with a girlfriend of mine and we encountered a man that was laying on the ground unconscious. As soon as the light turned green I pulled to the side of the highway and started CPR on this man while my friend went to her grandmother’s house just down the road to grab some Narcan.

I cried trying to keep this man alive. Another female bystander pulled over to assist me. Thank god for you! To the firefighters that arrived on scene: your lack of empathy towards another human being is disgusting! I had to get out of there I was so distraught. You guys are tired of seeing the same people, I get it. It still doesn’t change the fact that you should still be a decent human being. Especially the fact that I lost my brother to drugs in 2013 and the thought of someone treating him that way just made me so sick.

Now fast forward to 4:30pm and the same man is back on the corner so I stopped and talked to him and asked him if he wanted help. He said ‘yes.’ He told me he was in a lot of pain which is why he was back on the corner trying to get his next fix. I knew he would be because I literally felt the crack as I was doing the chest compressions.

When someone who had to be revived with Narcan arrives at St Luke’s, does the staff even make an attempt to give them any resources? If not, how do you guys not expect to see the same people over and over again? Where is the mental help ?How do we expect to see change if nothing is being done?!!”