Eutisha Revee Rennix, Six Months Pregnant, Dies After Suffering Seizure, as EMT Medics on Break Refused to Help

Eutisha Revee Rennix, 25, six months pregnant, who died after suffering a fatal seizure at the Au Bon Pain coffee shop in the shadow of the FDNY Headquarters, was ignored by two coldhearted city medics who continued to buy their breakfast. According to the NY Post, Frantic employees approached the two medics on Dec. 9, shortly after Ms. Rennix began complaining of shortness of breath and intense stomach pains. The woman was reportedly turning blue, but the EMTs remained unfazed. One worker said in an interview with the Post, "I remember them saying they couldn't do anything because they were on their break." another worker said. "We started screaming and cursing at them."The woman's condition continued to worsen as she began foaming at the nose and mouth. Two good Samaritans in blue FDNY sweaters tried to help her, one called 911, while the other tried to keep her still. When the ambulance finally came, it was too late.

The Fire Department, which runs the city's Emergency Medical Service, has launched an investigation and has placed the two EMTs on paid but restricted duty, barred from providing patient care. As far as I can remember, all EMTs have a moral and professional obligation to assist others in need of emergency medical aid no matter if they are on their break or not, therefore, they should be placed on administrative leave without pay. It's just the right thing to do. The crew that responded to the scene, 11 minutes after the initial 911 call, is also under investigation. Witnesses said the EMTs did not have one of the equipment bags needed to administer aid.

The fact that the EMS emergency dispatch center that fields 911 calls is located in the same building as the coffee shop, above where Rennix collapsed, is unconscionable that the assistance was so late in coming. Had these two workers attempted to help her, then the outcome could have been vastly different and the response by 911 would have been quicker. The coffee shop is regularly filled with FDNY and EMS personnel because the headquarters is in the same Metrotech complex.

Police records show that Rennix, a mother of a 3-year-old son, Jahleel, was rushed to Long Island College Hospital a mile away in cardiac arrest at approximately 9:48 a.m. and was pronounced dead at approximately 10:17. The baby, a girl posthumously named Jahniya Renne Woodson, outlived her mother by a little over two hours. She was too premature to survive. Family members have said the woman recently developed asthma, but was otherwise healthy.