Maxine R. of Northern Virginia........Guardian Alert 911 saves live of 74-year-old

In the midst of a long dry spell during the dog days of August, Maxine was in her backyard, watering plants.  She later decided to clean the nearby area where workers were installing an elevator, next to her patio: a decision she would soon come to regret.

As she began to sweep the area, a large black dust cloud emerged from the ground quickly engulfing her. She thought nothing of it, and quickly finished before heading inside.

Once Maxine was indoors, however, her hands began to itch. Within seconds, the irritation had spread across her entire body.

She decided to take a shower in the hopes of washing off the irritants, but by the time she reached her bedroom, her throat and tongue felt numb.  Clearly, there was something seriously wrong … a process that took all of 10 seconds.

Maxine knew instantly she needed help and thought of calling her daughter, but she quickly realized her daughter lived too far away to help.

“At that moment, it dawned on me that I might only have one chance to make a call,” Maxine said. “I knew that I had to make that call count.”

Luckily, she had received the Guardian Alert 911 as a gift from a friend, concerned about Maxine living alone after 52 years of marriage. She pushed the button on the device and within seconds was speaking with an emergency operator. Maxine explained the situation, and told the operator that she thought she was dying. The operator kept Maxine calm and promised to send help quickly.

Ten minutes later, several emergency vehicles had arrived and Maxine was en route to a nearby hospital.  She was later diagnosed with an allergic reaction, most likely caused by a mold or fungus in the black dust cloud.

“I’m grateful that I had the Guardian Alert 911 because I had never had an allergic reaction before,” said Maxine. “I kept thinking that I was going to die and that my children were going to find me lying on the floor.”

For Maxine, it was a story with a happy ending.