Dear Editor:
I want to commend an aide to a person in an apartment housing building for her wonderful actions under conditions of extreme stress.
Marie Clifton, of Elara Caring, had already clocked out for the day and was visiting me — same apt. building, different floor — and had to return to her client to get something she’d left there. As she got on the correct hall she heard a smoke detector shrieking and it got louder as she neared her client’s apartment. Smelling smoke, she opened the door and a cloud of smoke poured out into the hall.
Marie immediately heard her client say I can’t breathe and found her and, barely able to see, got her out of the apartment.
Then she went back in the smoke-filled place and turned of a stove burner, which had been mistakenly turned to “High” instead of “Off” by the resident.
Marie then got two fans and, turning them on in strategic places, she immediately opened the apartment’s two windows — a difficult task, for the windows stick due to a settling foundation — so the smoke could harmlessly dissipate outside, instead of coursing throughout the building.
She then went to look for the resident’s kitten and found her in the tub, as she turned on the light/fan in the bathroom.
Besides a lingering smoke smell there was minimum damage to anything, anyone ... any kitten. Some food was ruined. Even Marie couldn’t save that.
Marie then went to her home, miles outside Perryville city limits, only to conscientiously return a couple hours later - on her own time - to check on the resident and her kitten ... and close the windows.
Likely, much damage and injury has been prevented by Marie’s efforts under pressure.
We all at the apartments, thank you, Marie, for leaving your notebook in the apartment and performing the quick-thinking actions of a true hero!
Ryk Diemert
Perryville
