WSVN — A horrific accident brought a woman who is critically injured and the man who saved her life together. Now they met again for the first time since that fateful day.
Adele Azcuy, crash victim: "There was a car that just swung out in front of me."
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Gustavo Suero: "It was right before shift change, and the call came out."
Adele Azcuy: "I looked down and I saw my arm, and my arm was completely twisted."
Lt. Gustavo Suero: "When we hear Krome [Avenue] car accidents, we know it’s pretty bad."
Adele Azcuy: "I heard him say, ‘Oh, we have an open femur fracture.’"
It’s been a year since the lives of Adele Azcuy and Lt. Gustavo Suero came crashing together.
Adele Azcuy: "You’re like a hero to me."
Now the two are meeting face-to-face for the first time since the accident that changed Adele’s life.
Lt. Gustavo Suero: "It was scary that day we saw you."
Adele Azcuy: "I know. It was very scary."
Lt. Gustavo Suero remembers that scary day well.
Lt. Gustavo Suero: "I’ve never seen injuries like this with a person completely with it. I’ve never seen a broken arm like that. She had a couple ‘never seens’ in our list."
While the crew ripped away the mangled car around her, Lt. Gustavo Suero knew he had one job.
Lt. Gustavo Suero: "I put my hand on her and I just started talking to her."
For Adele, that touch and the sound of his voice helped her hang on.
Adele Azcuy: "It was crazy what was going on around me. I knew that it was serious, but he just made me feel like there was somebody there in my corner."
She had to be airlifted to the hospital, where she started her long, grueling recovery.
Adele Azcuy: "I had multiple broken toes. The actual foot itself was very broken, and both of my knees were shattered. My shattered femur that came out through my leg. I have a metal plate that runs from my knee to my hip and my arm, and I have a rod that goes from my shoulder to my elbow."
Through all the pain, Adele never forgot the man who helped save her. So, she wanted to meet him in person to say thank you.
Adele Azcuy: "I just remember, you know, that one person who was just kneeling next to me telling me, ‘Everything’s going to be OK. Don’t worry.’"
Lt. Gustavo Suero: "This is rewarding when you see people, when you come back and you see the end result."
And for Adele, the end result is gratitude.
Adele Azcuy: "When you have them touch your life in such a way, I wanted to make sure that they realized that they had an impact on me and an impact on my life."
Adele still sees a therapist three days a week. but has been cleared to get back on her bike and is excited at what the future holds for her.
FOR MORE INFO:
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
http://www.miamidade.gov/fire/