Warwick, CO – Joseph Medeiros and Kristin Nardolillo have plenty of reasons to celebrate this Christmas. For starters, they’re alive. The couple was staying in their trailer in Warwick last Sunday night with their three teenagers when Medeiros woke up and noticed his wife was unresponsive.
I noticed she wasn’t breathing. Her eyes — she was looking up into space, Medeiros said.
Medeiros then told his 15-year-old son, Dylan to call 911.
They were asking what we needed and I said fire department, ambulance, Dylan said, wiping away tears.
Joseph began to feel light-headed so he stepped out of the trailer and then collapsed.
Dylan said, He went behind the camper and he passed out and I walked up to him and I was like I can’t lose you too and I helped him get back up on his feet.
When firefighters opened the trailer, their carbon monoxide detectors went off. Firefighters soon learned the family had been using a propone heater to keep the trailer warm. It turns out that earlier that day Medeiros had patched a hole in the trailer floor that had been letting in cold air. His wife had been complaining that it was cold in the back of the camper.
So I noticed there was a hole so I blocked it up Sunday afternoon and then Sunday night is when it happened, Medeiros said. I almost lost her.
Medeiros now realizes that hole was allowing the carbon monoxide to seep out of the camper. The family told NBC 10 this Christmas has a whole new significance.
I’m just thankful that I have my family still, Dylan said.
The three teens were sleeping in the front part of the trailer and were not as exposed to as much carbon monoxide as their parents because the heater was in the back of the trailer.
The city of Warwick has placed the family in a hotel for now and several agencies are working to help them find permanent housing.