Scare shows local grandmother the true meaning of hometown

Byram - Joan Fuimara has lived a quiet life in Byram for the past 45 years, and that’s the way this self-appointed “mother of everyone” likes it. She likes Byram so much, that through her years living here, Fuimara, who turned 69 on Tuesday, hasn’t had much to say, until now. On May 30, Fuimara, who is recovering from hip-replacement surgery, had what she called “the scare of my life” when she experienced numbness and weakness in both her legs. After examining Fuimara and fearing a blood clot, her visiting therapist, Alina Paulson, suggested a trip to the Newton Memorial Hospital emergency room. That’s when Fuimara realized how much of a hometown Byram really is. “They came right away and they were very nice. I could not find better people to care for me, they are very caring,” said Fuimara, referring to the members of the Lakeland Emergency Squad who came to her rescue on that day. She also had praises for the members of the Byram police whom she said came to her house in just minutes after the call for help was placed. Fuimara recalled how both police officers and members of the squad tried to calm her anxiety by holding her hand and talking to her. “I was so upset; here I am getting into an ambulance and God only knows I don’t want to,” she said. “But they took great care of me and the squad people were wonderful and the police came very fast.” Despite her frail condition at the time, Fuimara was aware of her surroundings and recalled during a recent interview how the doctors and nurses in the emergency room reassured her and made her feel comfortable. In appreciation, she still refers to Newton Memorial Hospital as “that wonderful hospital.” With her health scare behind her, Fuimara took the time recently to send a message to the Byram community, the area volunteers, police officers and to Newton Hospital for making her ordeal bearable. “The Lakeland squad is wonderful. I never thought I would need it until this emergency came up. I want to say thank you to them for transporting me to Newton Hospital where I received great care from the emergency staff,” she said. “I also want to thank the police department and the staff at Newton Memorial for providing me with the care I needed.” Fuimara has gone back to her quiet life of baking and being a “mother to everyone.” However, she stills thinks of all the people who left their homes and what they were doing to come to her rescue in her time of need. “I love Byram; I really do. I have been here for 45 years and I don’t want to leave because these are really nice people. They were like family and were there when I needed them,” said the Byram grandmother. “They made me feel like I was their mother. God says, ‘Be good to people,’ and they were good to me. They were very careful with me and they were wonderful.”