Man speaks out after suffering Carbon Monoxide poisoning

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - A valley man who was found unconscious in his home is rushed to the hospital, having suffered from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Now, he is speaking out about the terrifying experience.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a gas that has no color or smell, which can cause sudden illness and death.

This victim, only identified as "Jelani", was brought to Good Samaritan on Wednesday, after fire crews found him unconscious in his home. His van was running in the garage for nearly five hours before he started feeling sick.

The good news is Jelani, 35, is now out of the hospital and feeling much better.

At around 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Jelani went to the store to get a part to fix his vacuum. Fast forward a few hours to 3:00 p.m., Jelani called his wife, because he was feeling very sick: dizzy, cold, and light headed.

Jelani kept telling her he was going to pass out. 

"I couldn't move," said Jelani. "I was just sitting there with my hands like this, and I couldn't move. She heard me each time I said it, I sounded more faint. She ended up calling the police, and then the fire department came."

Phoenix Fire arrived and found Jelani unconscious in his bedroom. He was sick with carbon monoxide poisoning.

Jelani had left his work van running by accident, after getting back home from the store earlier that morning.

"I just got the piece, and I just wanted to hurry up and get upstairs and put it together," said Jelani. "I didn't even realize I didn't turn it off."

Jelani says after he shut the garage door, he didn't hear the van still running, and during the day, he didn't smell anything. He says from now on, he'll pay more attention so he doesn't make this near fatal mistake again.

"I might even be coming straight to the door, opening the door, making sure everything closed, making sure everything is off. Just to be on the safe side," said Jelani.

Jelani's family wasn't home at the time, but two of their dogs were in the house. He says the dogs were very sick as well, with both throwing up, but they're OK, as of Thursday.

CDC information on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
https://www.cdc.gov/co/default.htm