By Scott Rains, Lawton Constitution
For James Carroll, 2020 was the year where the hits kept on coming.
It was 351 days ago when he felt the first symptoms from COVID-19 coursing through his body. For a long time it seemed they would never stop.
One year ago today he was living his dream career and thinking big about his budding culinary business.
A lot can happen in less than a year.
Three-hundred-and-fifty-one days later, he continues to feel the effects of the disease and had to leave his 15-year career as a Lawton firefighter.
“I had to medically retire due to lung conditions which prevents me from safely wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) which my former job position required,” he said.
Without the option of taking light-duty work, Carroll said, he couldn’t switch jobs. After being denied his worker compensation claim and draining his sick leave and vacation, he said he was forced to retired. He knew it was the responsible decision, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.
“For a long while, it deeply bothered me not leaving on my own terms,” he said, “but it wasn’t about me, it’s what was best for the citizens, which is every firefighter’s No. 1 priority, and it was best for those I served with, those that I would also give my life for. Many of the men I worked with I still consider family, and through the ups and downs during the past two years I still would do anything for them.”
Read the full story here.
