Woman thankful Iona-McGregor firefighters rescued her twice in three days

Firefighters saved the same Lee County woman twice within the span of three days. She suffers from a brain disease and says, if they didn’t come get her and make sure she got the help she needed, she probably would have died. She told us why the men who came to her aid are heroes.

Corrine suffered two medical episodes recently, and she credits Iona-McGregor firefighters Nick Dillaha and Brian King for saving her life.

“I seriously owe them my life,” Corrine said. “I wish I could do so much more for them.”

While she was at work last week, Corrine blacked out.

“I started getting really, really dizzy,” Corrine said. “I tried paging my manager, and I had passed out at that moment.”

Corrine woke up to the Iona-McGregor firefighters caring for her.

“These two in particular forced me to go to the hospital,” Corrine said. “They didn’t really force me, but they said, ‘Please go. You really should get checked out,’ and I did.”

Two years ago, doctors diagnosed Corrine with sarcoma cancer and intracranial hypertension. When she got to the hospital last week, doctors found a blockage in her brain.

“I absolutely would’ve lost my life,” Corrine said. “It’s just crazy to think about.”

Days after having brain surgery, she had to call 911 again. Ring doorbell video shows the same two firefighters responding.

“I was having severe pain, and instead of saying, Oh, is this from the life-saving surgery,’ they treated it as if it were an emergency,” Corrine said.

It turned out the pain she was experiencing was due to two small brain hemorrhages.

Corrine was able to thank her heroes Thursday, something normally irregular for first responders and the people they rescue.

“If they wouldn’t have treated it as an emergency, and that it was just cancer, I would not be here today,” Corrine said. “So I absolutely owe them a thank you.”

Firefighter Dillaha said he was happy to see Corrine up and moving.

“We don’t always see the results,” Dillaha said. “Sometimes you only see them in their worst, so it’s nice to see her.”

Corrine is still undergoing chemotherapy. She says she hopes everyone appreciates the dedication and effort our first responders put into our community. While it’s their job, Corrine says their selfless and courageous decisions made an impact.

“I see you; I see what you do; I notice what you do; and I appreciate you,” Corrine said.