Last week was national EMS week. At our house we throw around the term EMS all the time. Many of you reading might have to stop and think, what is EMS. It’s Emergency Medical Services.
In our family medical is big. It all started back in January of 1988. I was LARGELY pregnant with our daughter Kayla. Our church was putting together a class for members to take CPR classes. It was being held at the local school. Kramer and I went to the class.
After part of the instruction was over, we had a break. Well at the same time another class was having a break. Kramer knew some of the people taking that class and chatted with them at the break. It turns out that class was for EMTs.
Kramer ended up deciding to be an EMT that night and the next week, he was in the class. He went on through the training and testing and ended up being an EMT. That was 31 years ago.
Everyone goes on about how great and giving emergency services workers are. It’s true they are. But the training Kramer got gave so much to our family too.
Shortly after Kramer finished the training his mom was having a heart attack. It was in the morning and she had taken several nitro pills with no relief but planned to not do anything about it until her afternoon doctor appointment. Kramer ended up going there and getting her to the hospital. I believe, that act extended her life.
A bit after that, Kelli had a terrible episode. She was 2 1/2 at the time. She ended up having trouble with the her epiglottis (flipper in the back of her throat). We took off to the hospital as Kramer recognized she was having trouble long before I did. Once there, Kelli was intubated. She was in the hospital for a week in pediatric ICU. The doctor asked how we knew to bring her in. We attributed Kramer’s EMT training. The doctor told us we were about 20 minutes from losing Kelli.
Yes…Kramer has given lots to helping others by being a EMT, but being an EMT has given much to our family. Not only has it helped us medically but also given us a great group of friends to hang with.
We can’t thank the Grand Meadow, Minnesota ambulance service enough for paying for Kramer’s training and giving him a chance. We have loved being part of the emergency service family.
We are so pleased that we have family, Kalissa and Craig, that are a part of the family too!!
oops! was this blog entry not completed? seems to stop mid-thought.
The Hubz did rescue squad for about 28 years, and he, too, said that he got so much out of it. He finally gave up when his doctor told him that he shouldn’t lift 100 lbs or more any more. Good folks, all of them.
I’m a retired RN and worked a Trauma II ER for 5 years. I have the utmost respect for EMTs and Paramedics.
A blessing in the truest sense of the word. Thank you, Kramer, for your hard work as an EMT.