13 Aug Martha Sword

Martha Sword

The squad gave me nine more years with Bill.

My story is one of sheer gratitude.

It was 15 years ago on a brutally cold January night that I found out I can’t live without the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad.

Our family was a victim of a home invasion. My husband Bill, two of our three children, my brother and a friend were sound asleep when a stranger pounded on our door. Bill opened the door; a young man entered our kitchen and stabbed my husband 12 times.

Amid complete chaos and panic in our home, the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad brought us under control, assessed Bill’s injuries, staunched his bleeding, and arranged to airlift him to the trauma center in Trenton. Simply put, they saved his life.

That night changed Bill’s outlook. He never took another day for granted, and he never forgot the EMTs who made it possible. He joined the advisory board of the rescue squad soon after and was excited to help them explore the construction of a new headquarters. That was over a decade ago.

By a cruel twist of fate, my husband was killed when a tree in our driveway came crashing down during Hurricane Sandy. Even on that horrific night, PFARS miraculously showed up in our driveway. Though they could not save him then, they again risked life and limb on our family’s behalf.

It’s because of their dedication to duty that I willingly agreed to be a part of this campaign. What a privilege it is to give back to the Squad and to honor Bill’s memory with this work.