A timely phone call by parish staff saves a life

It was already noon on Aug. 16 in the offices of St. Joseph Parish in Mendham. Deborah Kuzma, director of religious education, hadn’t arrived yet, which was unusual.

Jackie Cronin and Mary Maximos, two St. Joseph’s staff members, began to sense something was wrong — and they were right. Their worry, intuition, and quick action helped save Kuzma’s life.

Kuzma wasn’t responding to calls and texts. That eventually led Cronin, St. Joseph’s administrative assistant, to phone the N.J. State Police, who patrol her community in the Panther Valley neighborhood of Allamuchy Township, where she lives alone. Police forced open Kuzma’s door and found her barely responsive in her second-floor bedroom.

“I was incoherent. The next thing I remember, I was at the hospital,” said Kuzma, a senior who arrived at Hacketts­town Medical Center in Warren at about 1:15 p.m. She was found to be suffering from blood poisoning, a kidney stone, and low blood pressure. “Doctors said if I came in two hours later, they would’ve been calling a funeral home.”

Later, Kuzma was transferred to Morristown Medical Center. She had several surgeries related to her condition since. After 25 days in the hospital, Kuzma was discharged on Sept. 9 with a long road ahead to wellness. She continues to recuperate at home while Maximos, her administrative assistant, helps run the religious education program in her absence.

“I’m glad my co-workers picked up on my routine,” said Kuzma, who was starting her third year at St. Joseph’s. Cronin also phoned Msgr. Joseph Anginoli, pastor and adjutant judicial vicar of the diocesan Tribunal, who was in the hospital at the time. “Thank God they cared enough to make the call [to the police] because they saved my life.”

Both Cronin and Maximos shy away from being called heroes — what Kuzma thinks of them. They just want the incident to remind people to be mindful of others, particularly in a loving Christian community. It could save a life, they said.

“When I came to work, I noticed Deborah’s office was dark, which was not like her,” said Cronin, who first called security at Kuzma’s community. On a welfare check, four state troopers came to Kuzma’s door, announced themselves, and then forced their way in when she didn’t respond. “I’m glad she’s okay,” Cronin said.

Early that morning, Kuzma made a decision that also might have saved her life. Before bed, she felt the chills. She was going to text Cronin at 5 a.m. that she was taking off work. If Kuzma did that, no one would have suspected anything was wrong late that morning.

As Kuzma recovers, Msgr. Anginoli and staffers make frequent visits and calls to check on her.

“The staff watches out for and is concerned about the well-being of each other,” Msgr. Anginoli said.