Companion driver saves life of her client during medical emergency
SPANAWAY, Wash. -- A driver helped save a life after she went "above and beyond" her call of duty.
Her client had a medical emergency and the driver's quick thinking may have prevented a terrible situation.
As a driver for Envoy America, Penny Termini is in the business of taking care of people, guiding them while they fight for their lives or live in a world of darkness.
"I like having a personal relationship and being friends with my clients and I do care about them,” said Termini.
For six months, she's been a companion driver for Timothy Lomax.
Lomax lost his vision to diabetes and a work injury, he's on the liver transplant list and he relies on Termini to drive him to his dialysis appointments.
“She's not only my driver for my medical appointments, but I think of her as a friend,” said Lomax.
And that's what friends are for, to use their hunch on a day something goes wrong like last month.
Termini knocked on the door over and over, but Lomax didn't answer and he also knew he was diabetic
"I went back to my car and I tried to call him, he didn't answer which again was alarming. I texted him, nothing. Came back, knocked on the door again, the dog is going berserk by now,” said Termini. “I'm just thinking, ‘something is really wrong, he is having a medical emergency.’"
Just as she was about to call 911, Lomax’s stepmom arrived and they rushed into the house and found him slumped over in a chair passed out.
“I didn't know who I was, where I was or who was around,” said Lomax.
They gave him emergency glucose packs to get his blood sugar back up
Termini stayed for several hours, making sure he was OK again.
“To me that's just normal,” said Termini.
If going above and beyond is normal for Termini, then Lomax finds comfort, knowing she will always have his back.
"I've worked with other travel companies that take you to and from appointments, you don't answer your door, they just turn around and leave,” said Lomax. "Penny took that extra step that day which was needed."
Termini said Lomax bought her a dozen red roses to say thank you.
