The State of New Jersey is acting to clarify the rules to enforce Danielle’s Law, requiring professional caretakers for the disabled to dial 911 in an emergency. Danielle’s law is named after Danielle Gruskowski, a 32-year-old developmentally disabled resident of a group home in Edison, who died two years ago after a night of labored breathing and high fever. Her caretakers from Spectrum for Living waited until morning to drive her to her doctor’s office, where nurses could not find a pulse.

“The purpose of Danielle’s Law is to save the lives of persons with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injury in a life-threatening emergency,” Gruskowski’s mother said. “Minutes count in a life-threatening emergency. It could mean the difference between life and death for someone that cannot help themselves, like my daughter Danielle.”

You can read the Star Ledger article here.