Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017, was a day that will live on forever for many of us.
Today, I am writing about a person directly involved with and affected by a tragedy that day - a person who has lived her life saving lives and who has a heart overflowing with a sense of responsibility and sympathy for others, whether an ailment is a simple cold or needs life-saving interventions.
This person has been a registered nurse for many years. Her duty to others has been to make lives better. She has never had ill intent toward anyone. She has a gift for making the less fortunate feel like someone cared. She started this lifetime dedication to making other people's lives better by single-handedly raising two amazing sons, by being honest, and by having a lion's heart.
This person is Theresa Katzmark. Yes, she's the woman who, unfortunately, is responsible for another person's death while driving under the influence of a sleeping agent, the well-known Ambien. The car she was driving struck and killed a pedestrian in April along Duluth's London Road. On Aug. 10, Theresa was sentenced to four years in jail.
It's an ugly story that, no no matter how it's told, has an unfathomable-to-comprehend outcome, whether you're listening as someone directly involved or as a member of the general public.
Where the strength is here is that Theresa never wavered from her responsibility for her actions. She pleaded guilty to the charges, knowing the possible consequence.
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She is absolutely devastated by the events of that day. She is haunted, daily and in her dreams every night, by the horrendous accident.
And that is what it was: an accident. She never fled the scene. She never denied what meds she was on. She never changed her story. She simply accepted responsibility. What integrity. I could only hope to have half of hers.
How do I know her integrity and her willingness to accept? Well, I, along with many others, worked with her for years and saw firsthand her beauty and her ability to be strong during catastrophic events that are part of the emergency-department life.
She spoke openly and frequently about this tragedy. What amazes us all - yes, I can speak for all who know her - is that Theresa Katzmark is a remarkable woman, a mom, a friend, and an ER nurse who withstood criticism and comments all over the news and Facebook, etc., but who never was angry or wished to retaliate. She remained strong for her children and herself. That, my friends, is amazing. Why? Because her heart is right and just.
This being said, I can only hope others see what so many of us did for years. Theresa will continue to be supported by a very large group of people.
I initially wanted to criticize other cases of drugs and deaths, Ambien and deaths, but I thought that would only take away from what I really wanted to be heard, and that is this: In this world of injustices, I look at this case and say, "Oh, my God, where has our justice system gone?!" It truly failed someone on Aug. 10, 2017.
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Theresa Halvorson of Cloquet is a registered nurse in the emergency department.
