MEMPHIS, Tennessee — A woman is sharing the story of how she saved a man’s life who overdosed on fentanyl last week.
“I tried to contact him to take him there and he stopped responding,” said Jennifer Dancy, who works at non-profit "A Betor Way." “Because I’ve been through substance abuse I kind of knew that he was being honest and was really ready to get help.”
A Betor Way acts as a resource to assist addicts.
Dancy was texting with the man back and forth, working to get a man into a detox program.
“So when he didn’t respond I got the feeling something was wrong, that he was probably overdosing,” Dancy explained.
Dancy next contacted his mom and the manager of the hotel where he’s staying does a wellness check on him.
“Once he (manager) got to the door, there was a chain on the door but they could see in there,” said Dancy. “The man was halfway off the bed overdosing and unresponsive.”
She then called 911, saving his life.
“He was on the stretcher I really didn’t know what to expect, so I walked in the room and said hey to him,” Dancy recalled. “But then I realized he was not able to talk at all, his jaw was locked. He had what’s called a death rattle.”
Thankfully, the man was revived via Narcan by paramedics. Later, Dancy got to see him in the hospital.
“He thanked me then for saving his life.”
Dancy is in recovery herself after becoming addicted to Xanax among other drugs seven years ago. She shared what it’s like to help someone, and save their life who’s in a situation she can personally identify with.
“It’s amazing, it’s a miracle and I know now that I had to go through what I went through to be where I’m at today and that was the plan the whole time and you can call that divine intervention if you want or for nonbelievers maybe it’s coincidence,” Dancy said.
Whichever it is, the man and his family are relieved she made the right call at the right time.