why I chose EMS

When I was 5 years old my family went on vacation for a week. We left a brand new kitten at home under a neighbor's watch. When we returned home we couldn't find her anywhere. My mom commented for some reason that she had forgot to drain the bath tub. My dad jokingly said that the kitten had probably drowned thanks to my mom.

20 seconds later we found the kitten's body floating in the old bathwater.

I ran to my room to grab this pump I had... I had this balloon animal kit that came with a manual air pump. I wanted to pump air into the kitten... I wanted to bring her back to life.

When I was 6 we had a little barbecue... just my mom and dad and I. My mom and I were eating hamburgers in the 2nd story bedroom while my dad turned the grill off in the backyard. Suddenly there was nothing but fire outside the window... and then screams. The barbecue had exploded and my dad was badly burned- third degree burns all over his face and chest. The neighbors came rushing because they thought a car had exploded.

The paramedics came and took him to the hospital. This is when I decided I liked ambulances and emergency rooms and the nurses and doctors. He was in the hospital for a while and it took a long time for him to heal, but now you can't even tell he was burned.

When my grandma was in the ICU an amazing doctor played latex-glove-balloon volleyball with me. He explained why an elevated white blood cell count was bad. The nurses showed me stuff on the monitors.

When I was 10 my dad started convulsing on the couch. I remembered the story he told me about his sister having a couple of seizures in childhood. I called 911 immediately.I rode up front in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. This is the day I decided I would be involved in this field. I just knew.

Basically, I've been in the ER or the back of an ambulance or in the hospital either as a patient or as a family member many, many more times than I can count. Every single time the paramedics, EMTs, nurses, respiratory therapists, and doctors have treated me with respect and compassion, regardless of my age or situation.

I was always fascinated by medicine and I enjoyed being in the hospital. I felt guilty throughout my childhood because although concerned, I always got a little bit excited and happy when one of my family members was hospitalized because I enjoyed being in the the hospital so much. I felt "right" there. I still do.

I realize that I am very young and I refuse to confine myself to this one option; I will remain open-minded. However I feel deeply that it is my calling and I will pursue it vigorously until something else proves itself more worthy.