A life saved

Amrhein family donates $5,000 to Walden PBA and Fire Department for saving daughter’s life

By Connor Linskey
Posted 4/14/21

Last Monday, the Amrhein family presented the Walden Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and the Walden Fire Department with checks for $5,000 in homage to their efforts in saving their daughter from …

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A life saved

Amrhein family donates $5,000 to Walden PBA and Fire Department for saving daughter’s life

Posted

Last Monday, the Amrhein family presented the Walden Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and the Walden Fire Department with checks for $5,000 in homage to their efforts in saving their daughter from drowning 20 years ago.

April 5, 2001 was a warm spring day. After spending time outside, several of the Amrhein children as well as children from the neighborhood came inside the family’s home on North Street in the Village of Walden to eat. Meanwhile, two-year-old Trudy Amrhein was outside in their pool.

When Robin Amrhein, Trudy’s mother, saw Trudy in the pool she yelled to the children to call 911. Brian Amrhein, Trudy’s father, confirmed that the Walden Police Department arrived at the scene in approximately 30 seconds. Parents of the neighborhood children shooed them away to prevent them from seeing what was happening.

Brian Amrhein noted that the Walden police officers and firefighters worked hard to resuscitate their daughter, losing her several times.

“They worked and worked and worked,” Brian Amrhein said.

Trudy spent a total of seven months in the hospital. Nearly drowning caused her to lose about 80 percent of her brain cells. The incident blinded her and she has no use of her arms or legs. Doctors said Trudy would not live to her fifth birthday. She will turn 23 in July.

Due to the effects caused from nearly drowning, Trudy is unable to complete most tasks. For the past 19 years, Adele James-Benjamin has looked after Trudy during the day and night.

Last Monday, the 20th anniversary of the day the Walden Police and Fire Departments saved Trudy’s life, Brian Amrhein noted that the $5,000 donations were in gratitude for their efforts that day as well as all that they do.

“It’s just a way to say thank you to all of you,” he said to members of both agencies. “Thank you for all you do. You don’t get a lot of recognition a lot of times and we take you for granted.”

Walden Police Officers Eric Metzger and David Kurtz as well as Walden firefighter Jason Faso responded to the scene 20 years ago. Those three still serve with their respective departments. Members of both agencies often encounter the Amrheins at local businesses where they recount the events of that day and ask how Trudy is doing. Both the PBA and fire department are thankful for the donation and that Trudy is safe.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Metzger said. “We were all doing what we were supposed to be doing that day and to be recognized 20 years later is amazing.”