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Paramedic Stories XXIV: Miracles...(By Kendall V. Smith, Paramedic/EMT) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Rated "G" by the Author.
Being a paramedic isn't all about death or sadness: there are some patients who defy the odds and survive, and they still continue to do so to this day, as witnessed by one dedicated paramedic.
As much as I am faced with sadness, tragedy, or unbelievable hardship, I, as a paramedic, have gotten used to people dying on me, or people who don't have a prayer. But on the other hand, there have been many instances in my career as a paramedic that bring hope, joy, and even unbelievable circumstances that make this job worthwhile.
I have seen people come in in rough shape, and no matter what we do, we can't save them; and they end up dying. I have lost too many people to make me not want to believe in God, but there are those people who come in, and it is as though the odds are stacked against them because they seem to be at death's door, yet they refuse to enter it. They have some fight left in their compromised, weakened, injured, or diseased bodies, and somehow, by a fluke of nature, they hold on, and they end up surviving the crisis that they are facing. I remember this one little kid, a boy, who came in suffering from status epilepticus, and it took all of our skills to save him. He is now 11 1/2, and he continues to do well, considering the circumstances he is facing. I also remember another little kid suffering from anaphylaxis from when she was stung by a bee, and when we got to her, she was pulseless and completely without breath. She looked more dead than alive. But she survived, and by the time she got into the E.R., she was breathing on her own and was awake. I will never forget the color of her face when I first saw her: it was the color of blueberries, and she looked more dead than alive; and it was only by a Miracle that she pulled through. She continues to do well, too, and whenever I see her, her brother (or any other child we snatched from the jaws of death), I am always amazed.
I also remember this young woman in her early 20's who had come in suffering from the symptoms of a deadly bacterial infection known as necrotizing fasciitis (or "NecFac", as it is known in Medicalese), and she wasn't expected to survive. Yet, by some Miracle, she did, and she is now getting her life back on track, and she continues to recover from the lasting effects of her disease. She had apparently developed it from an opening in her leg, and the bacteria got in there and went wild; she went from a healthy, happy woman to a desperately sick one in a matter of hours, and it took all of the medical people's skill and knowledge to pull her through the worst of her illness. She is now a mother to three kids, and there is talk that she may be pregnant yet again. She is also working part time, and she is enjoying life for the first time in several years.
There are stories just as amazing or dramatic: this one kid with cerebral palsy surviving a respiratory crisis after she choked, the man with a butcher knife sticking out of his back walking again after physical therapy, the baby who was born three months premature that lived despite weighing less than two pounds, the little girl who was found in the cold, frozen solid, and we worked on her for over an hour, and she ended up surviving (she is disabled, but that is another story; she still lived, overcoming the odds against her), the guy who was found lying in his driveway while shoveling snow, suffering from a heart attack (defibrillation, supplimental oxygen, CPR, and quick action saved him to where he still can enjoy life and his growing family), the little boy who was hit by a car and survived lethal head injury and brain damage, and the teenaged boy who was burned over 70% of his body and is now slowly returning back to life between surgeries and ongoing therapy.
Just when I think that being a paramedic is all about sadness, death, or heartbreak, I think about these people who survived with our help, and I can't help but smile or get a rush of joy bursting in my chest, or thank God for His help in helping us save their lives. It is clearly evident that there IS a God, and He DOES care for His Children, and He is still in the Miracle-Making Business. There were Miracles untold over 2,000 years ago, when Jesus was first born, and these Miracles continue even today, in the 21st century. I have come to believe in God, and I have come to praise Him whenever we save yet another life from certain death, and I have come to enjoy my job as a paramedic. I have made a huge impact on many people's lives, and it is all because of the Power, Grace, and Glory of a Loving and Compassionate God.
I guess it is those rare miracles which keep these wonderful people on the job despite facing the despairing losses. Great Write Karen, truely one of your best yet!
Reviewed by Judy Lloyd
11/2/2004
Miracles do happen and more and more people are being saved because of new techniques today. Thanks for a wonderful story.
As much as I am faced with sadness, tragedy, or unbelievable hardship, I, as a paramedic, have gotten used to people dying on me, or people who don't have a prayer. But on the other hand, there have been many instances in my career as a paramedic that bring hope, joy, and even unbelievable circumstances that make this job worthwhile.
