Two-year-old Annunziata 'Nunzi' Newell has made a remarkable recovery after a near-drowning incident in Phoenix, reconnecting with the firefighters who saved her earlier this year. The Newell family's ordeal began on February 22, when Nunzi accidentally fell into the family pool during a backyard dinner, and her father, Bill, performed CPR while her mother, Teresa, called for emergency services, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
The Phoenix Fire Department responded quickly, with firefighters from Station 39 performing life-saving measures that helped Nunzi recover after a month-long hospital stay. She had suffered from septic shock, lung and heart failure, and was life-flighted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she was placed on life support. Nunzi spent two weeks in the ICU, as reported by ABC 15.
Nunzi was discharged from the hospital on March 22 after a full recovery. Bill Newell said, "My family is my life. My vocation in life is to be a father and husband, so they are my primary responsibility," he told FOX 10 Phoenix.
Nunzi reunited with Phoenix firefighters at Station 57, where Captain Scott Waltrath and Paramedic Anthony Harrison shared how important it is to see their impact, saying, "To see that we made a difference is extremely important for us." The fire department reminded everyone to have a designated pool watcher, as accidents can happen even with a pool fence. Bill Newell said, "We’ve been given her twice," as stated by ABC 15.
