Randy Hoffman, a dedicated volunteer who has responded to a few thousand calls over the course of his 12-year involvement with the emergency medical system on the South Fork, helping countless patients and in some instances literally saving their lives, now finds himself a patient in need.
"We always laugh, we call him 'Rescue Randy.' This is now time to 'rescue Randy' for the community," said Lisa Charde, the chief of the East Hampton Village Ambulance Association, of which Mr. Hoffman is a member.
Mr. Hoffman, 59, walked into the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City for what was supposed to be a routine spinal procedure on Dec. 4. He underwent an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion to correct stenosis, according to his sister, Alison Stern, who flew in from Colorado to be by his side. Unexpected complications arose from a spinal bleed, leading to more surgeries, and he was left paralyzed, she said.
Over the last two weeks, Mr. Hoffman has regained some use of his arms, but he is still not able to move his legs. He was expected to be moved yesterday from the intensive care unit to an inpatient acute rehabilitation center, where he will receive intensive physical therapy for approximately three to six months.
While Mr. Hoffman, a critical-care technician and the father of two college-age children, worked shifts at the Sag Harbor Volunteer Ambulance Corps and the Montauk and Springs Fire Departments, his main job is as a professional cabinetmaker. He also spends his time building, restoring, and racing vintage motorcycles, a hobby since 1984.
Ms. Stern started a fund-raising effort on Facebook to help cover her brother's day-to-day bills, such as car and insurance payments, as well as his mounting medical costs. In just 24 hours, nearly 500 people donated $50,000.
"It went live just as I got on the plane last night and when I got off, we had met our first goal of $15,000," Ms. Stern said on Tuesday. Her plane ride from New York City to Boulder had taken just four hours. "Randy can use as much as he can get because he will have ongoing needs and copays."
"It's just so amazing to watch," Ms. Stern said of the donations, adding that it was inspirational to see. "It makes me remember that we really do care about each other," she said. "We are so extremely touched and grateful."
Those who have worked with Mr. Hoffman said it is no wonder that so many people have stepped up to help him, since Mr. Hoffman cares about each of his patients. "I think that's one of the best attributes that Randy has. He always treats everybody with respect during the call," Chief Charde said.
"Randy has run calls in almost every ambulance district east of the Shinnecock Canal, helping the sick and injured in all those communities," said Philip Cammann, a paramedic who has long volunteered and worked on the South Fork. As the chairman of the Suffolk Regional Emergency Medical Services Council, he said he has had the honor of presenting Mr. Hoffman and his crews with many awards for cardiopulmonary resuscitation saves, given when a patient is not only revived but walks out of the hospital without any neurological deficits.
"Randy is truly committed to serving his community and now he needs our help and we should support him and pray for his full recovery."
Tom Field, a longtime volunteer with the Amagansett Fire Department, taught Mr. Hoffman when he became an advanced life support provider nearly a decade ago. He is a "fabulous guy to work with -- very conscientious, very sharp and good at what he did."
Mr. Hoffman joined Amagansett's E.M.S. crew in 2007, and ran 1,350 calls before leaving in 2013. "He went out of his way in the daytime. He would leave his job just about any place he was and go take care of the ambulance call," Mr. Field said. "He was extremely active and very good at what he did. He was extremely dedicated and trying to get better all the time."
In 2014, after moving to East Hampton, he joined the East Hampton Village Ambulance Association. Chief Charde said that since then he has answered 1,260 calls. "That's 250-plus calls a year," she said, "when our average -- a good average person -- is 100. That is pretty amazing, considering he's been doing it a while." Usually, new E.M.T.s are "super gung-ho" then tend to slow down.
"We need him to get back to us. We miss him," Chief Charde said.
Those who wish to write a check directly to Mr. Hoffman may send it to P.O. Box 2763, East Hampton, 11937.
