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EMT Suspended For Helping 7-Year-Old Noelia Echavarria, Qwasi Reid Fears Being Fired

By Patrick Frye
Published on: 00:17 PST, Oct 30, 2015

Qwasi Reid, the EMT suspended for trying to help a dying girl, says he would “do it again” if a similar situation ever arose. Unfortunately, 7-year-old Noelia Echavarria is now brain dead in a hospital, but many on social media are supporting the actions of the emergency medical technician. A fundraiser has also been set up to help Reid while he is on suspension from his job.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, a different EMT died in a freak accident after valiantly trying to save the life of a disabled person.

The New York EMT works for Assist Ambulance, and the reason they had the EMT suspended was because it is against company policy to stop to help someone if they had not been called to the scene. At the time, Qwasi Reid and his partner were transporting a nursing home patient when a frantic man flagged them down and asked for help for a choking child. The little girl, Noelia Echavarria, had already turned blue, and Reid knew that the choking girl took priority over his normal transport since no one at the school was rendering first aid after five minutes.

“There were people around. A mixture of children and adults. Mainly adults, but none near her,” Reid explained, according to DNA Info. “There was no one doing anything to help her. Everyone was standing away from her.”

Eventually, the paramedics called by the 911 dispatcher arrived. After Reid helped as he could, the little girl was transported to NYU Langone Medical Center, where she is now on life support. But Reid’s partner had been against him helping, and then Assist Ambulance had the EMT suspended for his actions.

Regardless, the suspended EMT says he does not have any regrets and he claims he would “do it again” if he knew there was a choking child needing his help. He also claims the company is only concerned about insurance money.

“I vowed to save a life, lives, as many as I could. That little girl, Noelia, superseded that gentleman that was in my ambulance that day. And I would never change anything if I had to, never,” Qwasi Reid told reporters. “It sucks that I’m getting penalized for trying to save someone’s life. If they’re not getting paid for the job, they don’t give a crap about you. But she was a priority for me.”

Unfortunately, Noelia Echavarria is still lying unresponsive in the hospital based upon the latest reports. The mother of the child was also hospitalized after suffering a seizure after she her daughter hooked up to life support.

The Echavarria Family Plans A Lawsuit

The lawyer for the Echavarria family, David Perecman, says they believe little Noelia was rushed into eating lunch, and it is claimed that Qwasi Reid was the first person to call 911, not the school.

“My concern is how the school responded. If he’s the first person who called 911, then the school did not. They need to have an honest investigation, not a cover-your-back investigation,” he said.

But the principal of the school denies that the staff did not do anything to help Echavarria.

“Speaking on behalf of the teachers and staff of P.S. 250,” Principal RoseAnn LaCioppa wrote in a letter to parents of the school, “I want to reassure you that our school personnel has been trained in response to emergencies and we will always follow all protocols and procedures to ensure the safety of all our students.”

Qwasi Reid Fired For Trying To Save A Life?

Right now, the job and the livelihood of the EMT hangs in the balance as Assist Ambulance decides what to do.

“I’m worried about them firing me, but I did a good deed. I just feel like I’m being penalized for something and I haven’t done anything wrong,” he said. “This is my situation. It sucks. Most people get rewarded and I’m being penalized.”

Shortly after Assist Ambulance had the EMT suspended for his actions, many on social media offered support for Reid and his family.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has also been set up to help the suspended EMT during this family crisis. As of this publishing, they have raised $3,403 but they’re still looking to raise more money in order to cover his lost pay. Qwasi Reid also sent a message thanking everyone for their support.

“Wow, man I’m speechless I really appreciate it,” Reid said. “On behalf of me and my family, we appreciate you.”

[Image via Misee Harris/YouTube]

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