Mayor Alyia Gaskins Thought She Could Push Through Severe Dehydration. Then She Ended Up in an Ambulance.
The Alexandria mayor shared details of her six-hour hospital stay and the powerful advice a paramedic gave her that she says changed her perspective.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins is recovering after a frightening bout of severe dehydration that sent her to the hospital by ambulance Friday, prompting her to share a candid message with residents about the importance of self-care.
In a video posted to social media Saturday, Gaskins recounted the events that led to her emergency room visit and the lesson she says she learned the hard way.
“I want to share some advice with you that unfortunately I had to learn the hard way,” Gaskins said. “Take care of yourself.”
According to the mayor, the day began in a whirlwind. Her dog was sick, her children were full of energy, and she was juggling phone calls while preparing for Saturday’s public hearing. In the rush, she said, she forgot one critical thing: to drink water.
Despite the hectic morning, Gaskins headed to Alexandria’s Sails on the Potomac event to help kick off the festivities along the waterfront.
“I could feel myself getting really, really hot,” she said. “I just assumed it’s like 100 degrees, so it’s fine. I will push through it.”
As she approached the stage, she said her condition worsened. She briefly left the event and went into nearby Misha’s Coffee, where she became sick and sought relief.
“Thankful to their really amazing staff there,” Gaskins said, noting that employees provided water and electrolyte packets and helped her regroup.
Determined to fulfill her commitment, the mayor returned to the event and delivered her remarks from the stage.
But even as she spoke, she knew something was wrong.
After finishing her speech, Gaskins remained seated while others continued the program. She said event organizers repeatedly checked on her, asking whether she was okay.
“In my mind, of course I will be,” she recalled thinking. “I just have to push through it.”
Privately, however, she was struggling.
“I’m literally sitting there staring into the crowd, praying to God, ‘Just let it be okay.’”
When the event concluded, Gaskins and her son stepped off the stage. Moments later, she became severely ill.
“I just couldn’t hold it together anymore,” she said. “I was sick for about the next 40 minutes.”
The mayor praised members of the Alexandria Police Department, Alexandria Fire Department, and the city’s emergency management team who came to her aid.
Even then, she admitted, she resisted the idea that she needed medical treatment.
“Honestly, even being that sick, I still wouldn’t let it go,” she said. “I’m hanging on to the side of a trash can. I can barely stand, barely see. But I’m telling them, ‘Just get me some ice cubes. I am going to be fine.’”
Eventually, she agreed to listen to the first responders around her.
She was transported by ambulance to the emergency room, where she spent approximately six hours receiving intravenous fluids and treatment for severe dehydration.
Even while in the hospital, Gaskins said her mind remained focused on work, unanswered emails, and responsibilities waiting for her at home.
“The crazy thing is what was going through my mind were the emails that I needed to answer or the things that I would miss for the rest of the afternoon,” she said. “I was also thinking about how I needed to get to my dog. I could not turn my mind off.”
The moment that stayed with her most came later, when one of the paramedics who had assisted her stopped by to check on her.
According to Gaskins, he took her hand and shared a message she says she will never forget.
“You only get one life, and that life is already too short,” he told her. “You need to rest, you need to drink water, and you need to take care of yourself. Because we need you. Your kids need you, and you need you.”
The words resonated deeply.
As she reflected on the experience from her hospital bed, Gaskins said she realized how often people—especially parents, caregivers, public servants, and professionals—ignore their own needs while trying to care for everyone else.
“So I’m going to try and live that way a lot more,” she said.
With summer heat settling over Northern Virginia and temperatures expected to climb in the coming weeks, Gaskins said she hopes her experience serves as a reminder for others to slow down when necessary, stay hydrated, and pay attention to their bodies before a minor problem becomes a medical emergency.
