| Year Honored | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | |
| Honoree | |
| Tracy A Lee | |
| Agency | |
| New York City Fire Department - Bureau of EMS | |
| Agency City | |
| Brooklyn | |
| Agency State | |
| NY | |
| Last Call | |
| 9/24/97 | |
| Cause of Death | |
| Infectious Disease Exposure | |
| Biography | |
| On September 24, 1997, eighteen days after she watched Princess Diana's funeral with her one good eye, Tracy Allen Lee became New York City's first emergency medical technician to die of AIDS incurred on the job. She said, "What a great funeral! I wish I could get something like this."<br /> <br /> Only after she had given the patient her all, EMT Lee took a moment to check her glove. She saw that it was torn and that her thumb had been nicked at the cuticle. The patient's blood and fluids had seeped into the cut.<br /> <br /> Tracy left a letter to her coworkers which was opened after her death, "You are my beautiful friends, I love life more because of you... Your expressions of support have made me stronger and not afraid to die... Each of you will forever be part of me now for our souls have gently touched one another."<br /> <br /> "You make a difference everyday. Saving lives is so important and I want each of you to promise to stay safe and be careful."<br /> <br /> Tracy died at age 34. She left a husband, her teenage sweetheart, Victor Lee. The disease had robbed her of the chance to have children.<br /> <br /> Honored 1998 |
The United States Official National EMS Memorial Service
