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EMS Week Contest: The moment she said ‘hi’

This is 1 of 6 finalists for our EMS Week 2012 contest: “More than a job. A calling”

Editor’s note: We’re pleased to unveil the winners 2012 contest to mark EMS Week! Check them out here.

By Fred Needham

One day I was listening to my scanner and a call came out for an unconscious women close to where I live. The radio said this was a call holding because all available ambulances were already on calls.

My son who is also an EMT-E was at the house. We went down to the corner where a reserve ambulance was housed and responded to the call.

When we arrived, we discovered a 25-year-old woman unconscious on the couch. She had just had a baby 3 weeks earlier.

She also had an insulin pump attached. I took her blood sugar and when it read 25, I told my son and fire crew that also arrived that we needed to get her in the ambulance.

Once inside, I started an IV and administered D5W. Half way through the ampule, she opened her eyes and said “Hi.” At that moment I knew that this was for me.

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