By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times
She told him to take her back to the office. His instinct told him to get her to the nearest hospital. He was disobeying a direct order, but in the end, it saved the life of his Sergeant and the mother of three couldn't be more thankful to him.
Police Officer James Atkins and Sgt. Grevirlene Kersellius, 42, were rushing to answer a call of a man with a gun on June 20. Suddenly, Kersellius felt excruciating pain in the front of her head and the back of her neck. "It was like I had a ton on my head and I couldn't hold it up," Kersellius told the NY Post.
As the two reached their call on 96th St. in Manhattan, Atkins ran into the station looking for the gunman.
Kersellius told the New York Post she mustered all her strength to follow her partner to make sure he was okay.
That's when Atkins noticed his Sergeant was in distress.
She told Atkins she wasn't feeling well and ordered him to take her back to their office.
"Sarge, I'm taking you to the hospital," said Atkins, but Kersellius insisted on going to the office. Thankfully, Atkins was even more insistent.
"She looked bad and I made the decision to take her straight to St. Luke's Hospital," said 41-year-old Atkins. "When I found out what it was I was like, 'Wow!'"
It turns out Kersellius was bleeding at the base of her brain as the result of a brain aneurysm. Atkins decision to disobey that direct order literally saved her life.
Kersellius says she calls Atkins an angel..."I call him my savior," Kersellius said.
Doctors transferred Kersellius to Roosevelt Hospital, where Dr. Rafael Ortiz, a neuroendovascular surgeon, performed a five-hour operation to insert platinum coils to prevent further bleeding.
"One-third of people with this die, and one third have a bad neurological outcome," Ortiz told the NY Post.
"The chance of a good outcome is better if the patient comes in right away." Ortiz said Kersellius' progress has been good.
Kersellius says shes learned a valuable lesson, one she is encouraging others to follow: Don't take a bad headache lightly.
"Don't hesitate to go to the emergency room," she implored.
"Thank you for not listening to me," the 19-year NYPD veteran told Atkins through tears. She and Atkins, with 20 years on the job, are assigned to Transit District 3 in Harlem.
The Black Urban Times
She told him to take her back to the office. His instinct told him to get her to the nearest hospital. He was disobeying a direct order, but in the end, it saved the life of his Sergeant and the mother of three couldn't be more thankful to him.
Police Officer James Atkins and Sgt. Grevirlene Kersellius, 42, were rushing to answer a call of a man with a gun on June 20. Suddenly, Kersellius felt excruciating pain in the front of her head and the back of her neck. "It was like I had a ton on my head and I couldn't hold it up," Kersellius told the NY Post.
As the two reached their call on 96th St. in Manhattan, Atkins ran into the station looking for the gunman.
Kersellius told the New York Post she mustered all her strength to follow her partner to make sure he was okay.
That's when Atkins noticed his Sergeant was in distress.
She told Atkins she wasn't feeling well and ordered him to take her back to their office.
"Sarge, I'm taking you to the hospital," said Atkins, but Kersellius insisted on going to the office. Thankfully, Atkins was even more insistent.
"She looked bad and I made the decision to take her straight to St. Luke's Hospital," said 41-year-old Atkins. "When I found out what it was I was like, 'Wow!'"
It turns out Kersellius was bleeding at the base of her brain as the result of a brain aneurysm. Atkins decision to disobey that direct order literally saved her life.
Kersellius says she calls Atkins an angel..."I call him my savior," Kersellius said.
Doctors transferred Kersellius to Roosevelt Hospital, where Dr. Rafael Ortiz, a neuroendovascular surgeon, performed a five-hour operation to insert platinum coils to prevent further bleeding.
"One-third of people with this die, and one third have a bad neurological outcome," Ortiz told the NY Post.
"The chance of a good outcome is better if the patient comes in right away." Ortiz said Kersellius' progress has been good.
Kersellius says shes learned a valuable lesson, one she is encouraging others to follow: Don't take a bad headache lightly.
"Don't hesitate to go to the emergency room," she implored.
"Thank you for not listening to me," the 19-year NYPD veteran told Atkins through tears. She and Atkins, with 20 years on the job, are assigned to Transit District 3 in Harlem.
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