Oct 3, 2014
In a lot of ways, I equate being an EMT to being like riding a bike. You can step away from it for a bit, but once you do it, that mindset is always there. You’ll never forget it. You’re more apt to pull over if you see a wreck. You are the one your family and friends call when they have a medical question. As a couple who have been EMTs for more than twenty years in a small town, that is pretty much how life is for my parents Peter and Karen Kier.
Last weekend, my mother and father were away visiting close family friends in Pennsylvania. My mom went out to dinner with some of the family that they were visiting intent on seeing one of their uncles play saxophone at a jazz club. They were sitting around the table enjoying a drink when the uncle suddenly collapsed. Instinct took over for my mom and she immediately stepped in, checked for a pulse that was not detectable, and began chest compressions.
Within a minute of her starting CPR, he took a big gasp of air, more than an agonal respiration, and began to improve. He was transported to the local hospital, and I am happy to report that he had an internal defibrillator and pacemaker implanted, and he will soon be discharged with no neurological deficits with the expectation that he will make a full recovery.
Looking back on it, I am extremely proud of her. At the same time though, I am not surprised at all. When pushed, she has always stepped up in those situations. Over the last twenty years, she has responded to thousands of calls. She has done CPR more times than I can count. Personally, I remember my very first CPR call when I was 15 years old. She was on it too. It would be short sighted to say that last Saturday night’s events defined her career as a volunteer EMT, but saving the life of a friend, well, that is on a completely different level from any other call that a prehospital provider will do in his or her career.
I was going to spend some time in this post talking about the importance of hands only CPR training. I was going to talk about how quick response can save a life, but this post is about so much more than that. It’s about being a lifesaver. It’s about making a difference. Nice work, KK! You make me proud!