Adventures in the Rescue Squad

Throughout my time at the rescue squad I have been in to many calls to count. There have been many different interesting calls that I have been on; from drug overdoses to fractured limbs to car accidents. Some of my most interesting calls are the one where I had a patient with a fractured ankle. The patient was working in their attic when they fell through the floor and then fell about 8 or 9 feet to the floor underneath where the patient hurt his ankle. It was somewhat difficult bringing him down and into the ambulance but it was an easy call compared to many others that I have been on. There have been many different calls where it was just a small checkup then a trip to the hospital where we dropped them off then went back.

Three Achievements From High School

Achievement 1: Rescue Squad

While in high school I joined my local rescue squad and I have had the pleasure of working with them for about 8 months now, it has been a very informative and fun experience that I will use throughout my life.

Achievement 2: College

I am happy to say that I will be going to Rutgers University next year and I am planning on majoring in either Computer Science or IT during my college years. None of this would have been possible if not for what I have done over my 4 years in high school.

Achievement 3: Instruments

Throughout my high school career I have learnt a lot of things. One of the things that I am most proud of is how I participated in band for numerous years playing trombone and after that, I taught my self piano and I am going to hopefully be learning violin and drums in the future.

My College Essay

This summer I was working as a camp counselor and I took my shirt off during swim. The head swimming instructor came up to me, pointed at my chest and said ”What’s that from?”

“What’s what from?” I asked.

“That scar on your chest,” she said, motioning to my midsection.

“Oh I forgot about that,” I replied, “that’s from the heart surgery I had when I was three days old.”

I was born with the rare heart defect Transposition of the Great Arteries. Basically my heart was formed incorrectly and my blood was not mixing properly. The condition is fatal unless you have an open heart surgical procedure called an arterial switch. Obviously, I don’t have any independent memory of that surgery. In a strange way, however, I have been given a memory of the ordeal. Sure, I have the scar to remind me, but my parents also shaped my recollection.

Throughout my life my parents prohibited me from engaging in anything that might cause a hit to the chest. That restriction isn’t drastic, but it made me feel different. It made me feel excluded and vulnerable. But the situation lead to some major emotional growth. I’ve learned that I have a unique ability to connect with people who have gone through trauma.

Teachers always sat me near children who needed special assistance because they knew that I would be helpful. They felt that I had the patience to connect with students who needed hand holding. It was almost as if they could see my scar through my shirt and they knew that I’d relate. I didn’t even realize that the teachers were doing that, but now I see that it happened consistently. I now realize that they saw something in me that I have only recently come to see in myself. I have a special ability to empathize with people who are struggling.

It’s apparent that there aren’t many people with this unique ability. I believe that because I was the only student the teachers ever asked to move. Sure, I could see this as a burden, but I don’t. I believe that when you have a unique ability to help others, you are obligated to put it to work. I wasn’t sure how- until the accident happened.

At 15 I attended a carnival with my younger brother and he rode a mechanical bull. His dismount did not go as expected. When he got off the ground his forearm – instead of being straight – was at a ninety degree angle. I could see his bone sticking out of his arm. Luckily, there was a person who was an EMT nearby and he stabilized my brother. I went into “power assist” mode. I called 911, and helped calm my brother. I stayed with him, keeping him steady until the rescue squad arrived. He was transported to the hospital, had surgery, and recovered. Fortunately, he has no long term effect from the break. The long term effect happened to me.

I thought about how I acted that day. I was cool under pressure. I was able to calm my brother down and be helpful in resolving the problem. That’s when I discovered how I could execute upon my obligation to help others — I could join the rescue squad. That distressing event made me dedicate myself to endeavors that help people who experience trauma. Today I am a cadet in the East Brunswick Rescue Squad.

It seems like everything has come full circle. I started life as a vulnerable infant. I was treated like a vulnerable adolescent. I’m reminded of my vulnerability every time I take off my shirt. But I won’t let that vulnerability define me. Instead, I use my understanding of being vulnerable to help others.

Some people see my scar and see it as a flaw. My scar is not a flaw, it’s a reminder. It is a reminder of my my unique ability, my obligation, and my strength.