Collapse victim still recovering
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Demolition continued Wednesday on the partially collapsed building owned by Mark Russo on North Main Street in Washington.
Megan Angelone
A visit by some of the emergency responders who aided in the rescue of Megan Angelone helped lift the Washington woman’s spirits recently.
“They came to the hospital to see her last week,” said Angelone’s aunt, Lisa Gresh. “She was really happy with that.”
Angelone, 37, was trapped beneath a refrigerator and debris for more than nine hours July 12 when a portion of the apartment building in which she was living caved in.
First responders from all over the region worked together to free her in difficult conditions, including the instablity of the structure and high temperatures.
When the building shifted during the rescue, responders were forced to evacuate.
“When the second collapse happened, that was very frightening. She was in there all alone. She thought that was it,” Gresh said. “She thought she was going to die.”
Angelone remains in UPMC Presbyterian hospital, Pittsburgh, where she has undergone about 30 procedures on her legs and hips. Gresh said the extent of her injuries is not yet known because of swelling due to compartment syndrome – increased pressure within a muscle most often due to injury, such as fracture.
Hospital staff are preparing Angelone to move to a rehabilitation center soon.
“She isn’t able to walk or get out of bed,” Gresh said. “She has months of rehab ahead of her.”
Angelone moved into an apartment at 15 N. Main St., Washington, just two weeks before it caved in. Gresh said other tenants expressed concerns about a crack in the wall, but Angelone didn’t think it was that bad because the crack had been covered.
Gresh said it’s too soon for Angelone to think about where she’s going to live.
“Her mental state is as good as can be expected. She has some (post traumatic stress disorder), some flashbacks if she hears a loud noise,” said Gresh. “But, for the most part, she’s in good spirits. Our entire family is behind her 100 percent. We just want her better and home.”
A GoFundMe account has been started for Angelone’s medical costs.