Christell Cadet, an emergency medical services (EMS) paramedic with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) is fighting for her life after contracting coronavirus. The 34-year-old is now sedated and breathing through a ventilator, reported New York Daily News.
Her family was notified of her worsening condition Tuesday morning, when they were told she had been transferred to ICU.
“Since this morning it’s really, really difficult for me. I can’t think or focus. I try to remind myself I have to remain strong even though she can’t hear me right now,” Cadet’s mother, Jessy Cadet, told Daily News.
Last week Cadet spoke with CNN from her hospital bed. She was hospitalized after her family found her struggling to breath on her hands and knees outside her queens apartment.
Though she does have asthma, Cadet said she normally keeps the condition stabilized. “I did not think it was going to get me this bad,” Cadet said. “My asthma is really under control otherwise.”
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Despite being an essential worker, Cadet told CNN she’d been working “light duty” and only interacting with co-workers at the station, where she remained while serving.
“I wasn’t even having patient contact, just exposed to my co-workers,” Cadet said. Noting the shortage of masks and protective gear, she added it was only a matter of time before cross-contamination occurred.
“Cross-contamination is eventually going to happen. Everybody’s calling 911, everybody’s got symptoms,” Cadet told CNN. “We are the first line of defense. We’re going to go somewhere and we’re going to treat this patient, we’re going to do the best to decontaminate our ambulance and then go onto the next assignment. Everybody’s going to come in contact.”
Sherry Singleton is Cadet’s friend and fellow FDNY EMS worker. She told Daily News she hopes Cadet makes a full recovery.
“It’s terrifying and we’re just hoping she makes it through to the other side,” her friend Singleton said.
