Ruth Nelson-Lau and Dan Lau present their donation to Merrill Firefighter/Paramedics Paul Peterson (left) and Eric Trempe (right). Image courtesy: Merrill Fire Department
MERRILL, WI (WSAU) — A Merrill couple has donated $1,000 to the city’s fire department after paramedics assisted them following a severe car accident last winter.
Ruth Nelson-Lau and Dan Lau were driving home from visiting family in the Lake Tomahawk area when their vehicle hit black ice and rolled into the ditch.
According to the couple they had also been dealing with numerous other health issues and family emergencies throughout the year including bouts with COVID-19 and the death of Ruth’s sister. Dan had also been diagnosed with lung and kidney issues.
Following the accident, Dan spent three weeks in the hospital. Ruth had been treated and released.
The couple said they wanted to say thank you to the first responders, many of whom knew Ruth by name from her time working as a nurse practitioner at the Good Samaritan Walk-in Clinic.
“We are incredibly grateful for everyone who was involved in our care. Without their skills, this story could have had a different outcome. We were always diligent in wearing our seatbelts, and we are certain that those seatbelts and airbags saved our lives! Dan did his best to steer away from the trees to avoid a head-on crash with them. We were in a sturdy vehicle; the passenger compartment was pretty much intact,” said the couple in a press release provided by the Merrill Fire Department.
Fire Chief Josh Klug says the department plans to use the donation to purchase a Handtevy, a pediatric resuscitation system proven to save lives and reduce errors.
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