I saved a life last night...

Pangea250
Pangea250 Posts: 965 Member
in Chit-Chat
I've been a volunteer on my town's first aid squad for 11 years now. 95% of what we respond to is Class A bull$hit. Probably only 5% really needs an ambulance, and of that, probably only 1 or 2 people are truly going to die. Those are the calls that really need me. The ones that won't make it without me. Those are the people that I donate 28 hours a week of my time for, the people that I wake up in the middle of the night for. The ones I can save.

I had one last night. It was 3am, and I rolled out of bed to respond to yet another stranger's house (or so I thought). One look at the patient and I knew it was an OH *kitten* call. (Those are the calls when nothing really describes it other than you walk in and say to yourself OH *kitten*.) A second look made me realize that I know this gentleman, I have for years. He couldn't breathe. He'd been having trouble for probably 12 hours and kept thinking (I guess) that it would get better. It didn't. He was tired, and just couldn't do it any more. If he had waited another 15 minutes, he'd be dead. We tossed him into the back of the rig & made the mad dash to hospital.

I don't often use bad-*kitten* driving skills, but I did last night. I cut a 10 minute drive to 7 minutes. He needed every one of those minutes. He stopped breathing when we walked into the ER with him.

So...yeah. I saved a life last night. Pretty awesome.

Replies

  • isa75
    isa75 Posts: 156 Member
    Good job!
  • rpn2003
    rpn2003 Posts: 13 Member
    Great story!! Good for you!! Keep up your great work! You make a difference!! :-) !!
  • Laura732
    Laura732 Posts: 244 Member
    Great job! We need people like you. Thank you for all that you do.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    Awesome :( my family here in MS are volunteer fire fighters.
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
    Your the kinda person I hope is around if I ever need that kind of help.
    Thank You For your Service :flowerforyou:
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    For realz! This is what it's all about! :drinker:
  • gmoneycole
    gmoneycole Posts: 813 Member
    Awesome! Thank God for people like you! :)
  • swthrtsmrf
    swthrtsmrf Posts: 384
    That is an amazing feeling. Congratulations.
  • AusAshMommy
    AusAshMommy Posts: 845 Member
    WTG! I am a former EMT-B Volunteer with an Organization in MD!

    Know that feeling all too well! That is Awesome!
  • DenDweller
    DenDweller Posts: 1,438 Member
    First off, awesome.

    And secondly, your driving skills must really be elite. People in Jersey don't seem to even move out of the way of ambulances anymore.
  • CindyMarcuzAdams
    CindyMarcuzAdams Posts: 4,007 Member
    You deserve to feel the pride you must be feeling. Kudos doesnt seem enough.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    That's awesome!
  • Gr8ChangesAhead
    Gr8ChangesAhead Posts: 836 Member
    your awesome !
  • melinda200208
    melinda200208 Posts: 525 Member
    Way to go!!! Thank you for volunteering your time to help save lives!!! The people in your town and your ambulance crew are lucky to have you!!!!!
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    I used to do volunteer ambulance work ...... responded to plenty of scary stuff ..... accidents & choking children ...... as well as amazing stuff ..... babies being born ..... you just never know when you'll make a difference :drinker:

    Thanks for sharing & thanks for your service !

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