April Nominate a Hero Finalists!

Please note – we’ve changed the voting requirements this month. In order to vote, you’ll have to create an account and log in to vote. Once you register, you’ll be taken directly to the voting page.

Click here register to cast your vote for April’s Hero of the Month!

Don’t want to register? You can still see the voting results – just click here.

Name: Jeff B.
Profession: Volunteer Firefighter/EMT

Jeff BurkeIn 2012, Jeff responded to a medical emergency. As the 34-year volunteer Firefighter and EMT loaded his patient into an ambulance, a nearby fire truck popped out of gear and started to roll. As the truck came towards them both, Jeff shoved his patient out of the way- saving her life as he took the entire brunt of the impact.  The force of the hit pinned Jeff between the vehicles, breaking both femurs, two bones in one shin and his pelvis in two spots. After several surgeries and months of recovery, Jeff’s surgeon told him his injuries would prevent him from firefighting. He now continues to work full time as a director of sales.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgALcX84IpI

Name: Angela W.
Profession: EMT

Emergency Medical Technician Angela W. was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer on her birthday last year. Angela faced her diagnosis with bravery and determination, muscling through radiation and chemotherapy with resolve and an upbeat attitude. Angela even returned to work as an EMT while still undergoing treatment.  Some days, she would head to work for 12 or 24-hour shifts straight from radiation therapy. Now a breast cancer survivor, Angela thanks her immediate family and her EMS family for their support and encouragement during her recovery.

Angela Wade

Name: September S.
Profession: Registered Nurse

September is a registered nurse raising three children while her husband is deployed in Afghanistan.  As her husband puts it, “If superwoman did exist on this planet, her alter ego is September.” Watch the video below to hear directly from him what makes this Nurse such a hero:

Name: Steve H.
Profession: Educator

Steve is a Special Ed Behavioral Disorders teacher working with students of all ages. His coworkers describe Steve’s effect on his students as ‘amazing.’ Fellow teachers point out that his students are prepared and confident after his classes. They note the ‘happy changes’ that Steve helps his students make- changes that stay with them long after they have left his classroom. Steve not only teaches his students, he strives to make them feel important and needed. Outside of the classroom, Steve and his wife train guide dogs for the blind. So far, they have trained ten dogs- all of whom graduated on to the next level of training!

Name: Michael D.
Profession: Law Enforcement

In September 2012, San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputies were attempting to arrest a suspect when the suspect began shooting a high-powered rifle from a 2nd story window- hitting and wounding two officers. Off-duty SWAT Officer DeWitt, a member of the department’s Gang Suppression Team, happened to be driving by the scene in his SWAT vehicle when he noticed the disturbance. He immediately donned his vest, armed himself, and offered his service.  Upon learning that an injured officer was still in the line of fire, DeWitt assembled a team, gave assignments, and proceeded in to retrieve the officer. The team reached the wounded officer, but realizing they were moving too slow, Officer DeWitt slung his weapon over his back–foregoing his own safety– to give full physical assistance and lessen the team’s time in the line of fire. While the team used DeWitt’s first aid kit to attend to the officer’s injuries, DeWitt noticed a woman and two small children running from the apartment complex in panic. Realizing that they were running into the line of fire, DeWitt left his position of safety to run and pick up one child as the woman carried the other to safety. DeWitt then returned to the apartment complex to make sure the second wounded officer was being cared for.  He was nominated by his fellow law enforcement officers who note his extreme bravery, leadership, and judgment skills.

Officer Dewitt after the incident

Officer Dewitt after the incident

Click here register to cast your vote for April’s Hero of the Month!

Don’t want to register? You can still see the voting results – just click here.

 

 

April Cal Cas Corner: Nurse Heroes

Nurses save lives every single day. But here’s the thing about Nurses: They’ll tell you they’re just doing their jobs. Saving a patient in the ICU? Diligently nursing a premature baby to health? Brightening patients’ lives in nursing homes every single day? All in a day’s work. But when you ask them to describe their jobs, the stories start to come out. Nurses going above and beyond for their patients, working back-breaking hours to make a difference, juggling their own personal lives while still offering life-changing bedside care. These are the stories we wanted to hear. But most of the time, nurses are too humble to tell their own stories. So we started asking Nurses about their Nursing coworkers- their heroes. We were blown away by the responses.

Here are just a few of the Nursing heroes that we have spotlighted thus far in our Nominate a Hero program: 

April Nurse Hero

Name: September S.
Profession: Registered Nurse 
Nominated by: Johnnie S.

September is a registered nurse raising three children while her husband is deployed in Afghanistan.  As her husband puts it, “If superwoman did exist on this planet, her alter ego is September.” Watch the video below to hear directly from him, in a video filmed while serving in Afghanistan, what makes this Nurse such a hero:

 

 

February Nurse Hero

Name: Jody W.
Profession: Registered Nurse (Home Health Nurse)
Nominated by: Stephen N.

In December 2011, Jody W. saved a complete stranger’s life. As a Nurse, this wasn’t really something new; saving lives is in the job description. But this time was different; this time Jody saved a man’s life by giving him her kidney. Growing up, Jody saw the struggle of kidney disease and the life-saving power of organ donation first hand.  Her close family members battled kidney disease, and several were given a new lease on life through organ donations. In July 2011, Jody put herself on a donation transplant list as a non-directed donor. Not even 5 months later, she was cleared to donate and matched with a recipient. In December, moments before her surgery, Jody got to meet the recipient of her kidney and his family. He is now doing well and on December 8th, 2012, Jody and the recipient celebrated their 1-year transplant anniversary! Jody is also very dedicated to international health and has been on 13 mission trips in Central America. She says she plans to use any prize money from Nominate a Hero on her next trip to Honduras!

Jody, the recipient of her kidney, and their families on the day of the operation.

Jody and the recipient looking GREAT 6-months post-surgery!

 

December Nurse Hero

Name: Scott D.
Profession: Registered Nurse
Nominated by: Barbara S.

Described as an inspiration to all who know him, Scott is a Registered Nurse working as a home visitor with a hospice unit. Before going into nursing, Scott saved lives as a combat engineer & infantryman with the US Army, jump master, parachute trainer, rescue scuba diver and former Fire Chief. Scott also frequently volunteers to work with the homeless, buying them food and helping them find services and resources. He has also worked with the Veterans Association, attending military funerals and visiting homebound veterans. In his role as a hospice nurse, Scott often brings his beloved dogs with him on home visits. He even volunteered to adopt a veteran’s dog when the owner moved into an assisted living facility. Scott’s nominator, Barbara, describes him as ‘a true hero to his neighbors and friends’ who ‘has been there to help when no one else stepped up.’

Scott Dressler
Scott D. and his nominator, Barbara

Self-Renewal for Nurses | A Guest Blog by Nurse Keith

This Guest Blog post is by blogger Keith Carlson, RN, BSN. Nurse Keith, the blogger behind Digital Doorway, is the featured article in our Nurses’ News Resource: Nursing Pulse. To sign up to receive the Nursing Pulse in your inbox once a month, click here

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Self-Renewal for Nurses: A Guest blog by blogger Keith Carlson

Spring is a time of year often associated with the theme of renewal in many cultures. Easter, Passover, Lent, Daylight Savings, the Equinox and other special cultural moments mark the increase in daylight, the flowering of the earth after the long, cold winter, as well as the general notions of rebirth and resurrection.

In the lives of most nurses, not much changes when winter turns to spring. For some, perhaps the commute becomes less icy and the snow gives way to grass (or mud!), but nothing much changes at the hospital, clinic or agency.

If a nurse is involved in home care, visits to patients’ homes may take on a different feeling as fireplaces become dormant and flowers begin to bloom, and these itinerant nurses may notice significantly less dangerous driving conditions as they shuttle between visits.

Outward signs in nature aside, the changes are actually few as winter turns to spring, so the nurse must find his or her own way of manifesting self-renewal at a time of year when change is in the air.

Physical Renewal

We all know the syndrome. Many of us gain weight over the course of the winter. In fact, some scientists hypothesize that human bodies naturally store fat in the winter based on ancient physiological adaptations in response to the potential for famine. So, as the weather warms, we put on our running shoes, grease up our bicycle chains, and otherwise reactivate our exercise routines.

Exercise is, of course, a great way to “wake up” your body, burn off some of that winter fat, and enjoy the outdoors.

Setting realistic goals for exercise is key to remaining optimistic and empowered in our exercise routines, so make sure you choose goals that are measurable, attainable and realistic. For instance, resolving to walk ninety minutes every day might be setting yourself up for disappointment and self-recrimination, but a goal of walking twenty minutes five days per week might be more attainable.

Food is another place where we can renew ourselves in the spring, especially as fresh, local produce becomes more available. At this time of year, we can make a conscious choice to “lighten up” our diets with more fresh fruits and vegetables, decreasing the intake of carbohydrates that we naturally crave during the colder months. Along with increased exercise, dietary changes help to increase our potential for weight loss, muscle strengthening and improved fitness.

Emotional, Psychological and Social Renewal

Emerging from the relative hibernation of winter, spring can make us feel like we’re bursting at the seams. Friends come out of hiding, we begin to feel a general sense of optimism, and we can feel drawn to come out of our wintry shells and embrace the world.

In Oriental Medicine, the winds of spring are often associated with the liver and the expression of anger, so some people can find early spring challenging on an emotional level.

In Southern France, a spring wind called “Le Mistral” is said to drive people mad, and those of us who live in the desert Southwest of the United States can also feel irritable as the spring winds blow the dusty soil and raise the risk of wildfires.

Meeting with friends, seeking short-term support from a therapist, coach or counselor, or requesting the counsel of a trusted member of the clergy can be helpful in times of transition. Engaging in a therapeutic relationship—whether brief or longer term–can sometimes be just the thing to move forward and galvanize personal growth.

Spiritual Renewal

I mentioned the counsel of a trusted member of the clergy in the previous section, and this can, of course, be one aspect of spiritual renewal.

For those of various faiths, spring brings renewal in the form of Easter’s celebration of the Resurrection, Passover’s acknowledgement of the Jews’ escape from imprisonment in Egypt, and “Al Hijra,” the Muslim New Year’s Day in April that celebrates Mohammed’s migration from Mecca to Medina. Pagan holidays and celebrations also abound in springtime.

Spiritual renewal can also be quite personal and non-denominational. Personally, increased time in nature brings me a sense of renewal and reconnection, with the budding of trees and the return of migratory birds signaling rebirth, change and promise.

Professional Renewal

Apart from the spiritual, physical, psychological and emotional aspects, we can also take a moment to reflect on the notion of professional renewal.

Whatever the season of the year, we’re always free to take stock of our careers, examine our goals, weigh our options, and decide if we’re still heading in a direction that feels growthful and satisfying.

Is your job indeed satisfying? Are you treated like a valuable asset or an expendable cog in a corporate wheel? Does your job feel more mechanical and routine than it used to? Are there professional skills you want to develop? Are there new opportunities to explore?

Questions such as these can spur an inward and outward examination of your career and professional life. Sometimes we can do this on our own, and at other times, a coach, therapist or trusted friend or colleague can assist us in sorting out the professional wheat from the chaff.

You might even decide that, every spring, you’ll take the time to polish up your resume, update your Linked In and social media profiles, and otherwise till the soil of your professional garden so that the ground is ready for the planting of new seeds of opportunity and change.

Spring Forward….and Carpe Diem

Truthfully, spring doesn’t really have to hold any meaning for you at all. In fact, the notion of spring’s renewal may just seem like an artificial construct to you.

Maybe spring is when your allergies are activated and you hole up in your bedroom with the air purifier on full blast as you escape the massive clouds of pollens that fill the air.

Or maybe spring is when you’re busy with your taxes and the last thing you want to do is examine your career or your spiritual standing.

You can find self-renewal at any time of year, and you can choose to seek support or enter a period of self-examination whether there’s snow on the ground or a lawn mower buzzing outside your window.

Self-renewal can occur as discrete events or as ongoing processes. Coaching, psychotherapy and other avenues of exploration are available year-round, but if the energy of spring speaks to you as a time for deeper introspection and personal action, you can certainly seize the day and delve as deeply as you like.

Remember that your life is your own, and the paths you choose to take are personal decisions. Nursing is a career that can bring much promise and professional satisfaction, as well as the possibility of disenchantment and disillusionment. Remain realistic about the course of your life, both personally and professionally, and use the tools and recruit the help that can help you navigate the hard times while celebrating the good.

We each have the opportunity to renew ourselves each day as we awaken from sleep and our feet hit the floor. How will you renew yourself today?

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Nursing in the HolidaysKeith Carlson, or Nurse Keith as he’s known to his blog community, has been in the nursing field since 1996.  Keith runs a Nursing Blog called Digital Doorway. A Registered Nurse and Certified Professional Coach, Keith says he has equal passion for both, which he uses “to help nurses live the most healthy, balanced and satisfying lives possible.” When Keith isn’t busy nursing, coaching and blogging, he’s working on “RN.FM Radio: Nursing Unleashed.”   Keith co-founded the station, which strives to be “a place where nursing thought leaders, entrepreneurs, writers, bloggers and gifted clinicians can make their voices heard.”

To check out Keith’s blog, click here. More information about his coaching can be found here
To tune in to RN.FM Radio, click here.
To keep up with him on Facebook, click here.
You can find him on Twitter by clicking here!
Check out our Q& A with Nurse Keith, click here

February Nominate a Hero Finalists!

Click here to cast your vote for February’s Hero of the Month!

Name: Jody W.
Profession: Registered Nurse (Home Health Nurse)
Nominated by: Stephen N.

In December 2011, Jody W. saved a complete stranger’s life. As a Nurse, this wasn’t really something new; saving lives is in the job description. But this time was different; this time Jody saved a man’s life by giving him her kidney. Growing up, Jody saw the struggle of kidney disease and the life-saving power of organ donation first hand.  Her close family members battled kidney disease, and several were given a new lease on life through organ donations. In July 2011, Jody put herself on a donation transplant list as a non-directed donor. Not even 5 months later, she was cleared to donate and matched with a recipient. In December, moments before her surgery, Jody got to meet the recipient of her kidney and his family. He is now doing well and on December 8th, 2012, Jody and the recipient celebrated their 1-year transplant anniversary! Jody is also very dedicated to international health and has been on 13 mission trips in Central America. She says she plans to use any prize money from Nominate a Hero on her next trip to Honduras!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jody, the recipient of her kidney, and their families on the day of the operation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jody and the recipient looking GREAT 6-months post-surgery!

Name: Keven R.
Profession: Sheriff’s Deputy
Nominated by: Joel H.

Deputy Keven R. was on patrol in Dallas when he happened to notice something peculiar: a car’s brake lights sticking out of a lake. He immediately drove down to the reservoir, pointed his patrol car’s headlights across the water’s surface and got out of his car. That’s when he realized that the car was slowly sinking- with two young women trapped inside. Deputy Keven R. immediately took off his utility belt and waded into the freezing water. He then swam to the car and shattered the car window’s glass. Inside, the two women were beating on the window, begging for help and telling him that they could not swim.  He pulled both women out of the vehicle, ‘bear-hugging’ them as he swam them back to safety. Rowan barely got both women to shore before the car was completely submerged. Amazingly, the entire ordeal was captured on the Deputy’s patrol car dash cam. Check it out below:


Deputy Keven Rowan

Name: Bradley H.
Profession: Volunteer Firefighter & EMT, Full-time EMT
Nominated by: Joyce H.

Brad got his start in firefighting as volunteer at only 18-years-old. Now, he serves as a full-time EMT while still volunteering his time as both an EMT and Firefighter. In March of 2011, Brad was called to a residential fire. When he arrived, there was already heavy smoke coming from the home. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Brad and his team bravely entered the home–without gear–to rescue a bed-ridden woman trapped on the second floor. Within minutes, Brad and crew had the patient secured in an ambulance and on her way to the hospital. For his heroic action and quick-thinking, Brad was awarded the Medal of Valor.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Brad H. receiving a Medal of Valor and Lifesaving from his Fire Chief. 

 

Name: Mrs. Ridge
Profession: Educator
Nominated by: Vicky P., Debra P., Ginny B., and Zena B. (Parents of current and previous students)

Parents of Mrs. Ridge’s students simply cannot say enough about the impact this inspiring educator has on their children, both academically and personally. They note her ‘incredible spirit, kindness, generosity and excellence as a teacher and citizen.’ Comparing her teaching abilities to being ‘able to leap tall building in a single bound,’ they shared all the ways her dedication and innovation has inspired their children to develop a love for learning. Mrs. Ridge is known for the family-like atmosphere she fosters in her classroom and unique ability to tailor a lesson plan to a diverse group of students by truly getting to know each of her students. She has also been known to dip into her own pocket to make sure she can give her students the very best despite budget cuts in her school district, even going so far as to provide lunches for students that would otherwise go without and donating used clothes from her own home to her students’ families. This educator is truly viewed as a ‘hero’ and ‘angel’ by her students and their families.


Mrs. Ridge and a former student

Nursing Amidst the Holidays | A Guest Blog by Keith Carlson

This Guest Blog post is by blogger Keith Carlson, RN, BSN. Nurse Keith, the blogger behind Digital Doorway, is the featured article in our Nurses’ News Resource: Nursing Pulse. To sign up to receive the Nursing Pulse in your inbox once a month, click here

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Nursing Amidst the Holidays: A Guest blog by blogger Keith Carlson 

At this time of year, most people feel the added stress and joy of the holiday season, and nurses are certainly no exception in this regard. Beginning with Thanksgiving, the pressures and expectations begin to mount exponentially, and although there’s often a great deal to celebrate and express gratitude for, some of us can feel like we’re pushed to our limits as we navigate the waters (and snows!) of the season.

Diagnosis: Alteration in Holiday Spirit

If you work in a hospital, there are most likely Christmas decorations everywhere, and other holidays—like Hannukah and Kwaanza, may also be recognized and honored.

Meanwhile, your patients may be forlorn and lonely as they spend the holidays in the hospital, and part of your unofficial nursing duties may be adding “Alteration in Holiday Spirit” to their care plan (along with interventions to assuage their suffering and sadness).

If you’re a homecare nurse, you have the honor and responsibility of visiting patients in their own homes. This type of nursing brings with it various challenges at this time of year, including patients who have no family or are too poor or ill to fully enjoy the holiday season.

Nurses employed in nursing homes and long-term care facilities also face the potential sadness and isolation of their patients, and witnessing residents’ sadness and loneliness can be a psychic burden for the sensitive nurse.

What About Your Spirit?

While you strive to lift the spirits of your patients—whether in the hospital, nursing home, or other milieu—there’s someone who should also be on your list of those in need of support: yourself! This time of year can be difficult enough without potentially carrying the burden of your patients’ loss and grief, and making sure you pay enough attention to your own needs is paramount.

In some workplaces, the high energy of the holiday season can feel very uplifting and cheerful, with office parties, gifts, cards and special treats that brighten one’s day and add a special something to the functions that still need to be accomplished.

However, if the demands of your workplace are generally intense, you may experience a variety of emotional reactions to the “cheer” being spread by the seasonal festivities, and these reactions and feelings are altogether normal.

Keeping yourself balanced and functioning at your best during this time of year is important, so recognizing how you feel and what your individual needs are is something worth paying attention to, whether those needs are emotional, physical or spiritual in nature.

Holiday Self Care for the Nurse

If the stress of the holiday season is impacting you at work or at home, there are ways to “dial down” the stressors so that you prevent illness, overwhelm and burnout.

First, you must pay close attention to the basic aspects of your self-care, and while these are universal at any time of year, they are even more important now.

Nutrition

Sweets and treats abound at holiday time, but overindulgence can lead to a suppressed immune system, gastrointestinal disturbances, weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, and feelings of lethargy and brain fog.

There are temptations around every corner at this time of year, and avoiding (or limiting) your intake of cookies, cakes, candy, alcohol and other special foods may help you to feel better, even though it’s hard to resist when they’re right under your nose.

If you have a friend or colleague who also wants to resist temptation, enlist one another as “accountability partners” and find ways to provide mutual support. Bringing alternative healthy treats to work can help, as well as collaborating on methods for avoiding the nutritional pitfalls that feel good in the moment but come back to haunt you later.

Hydration

Staying hydrated is always important for every physiological function you can think of. Regularly filling your belly with good quality water can also suppress your appetite when faced with those delectable but nutritionally poor treats that seem to be on every desk and nurses station throughout December. Skip the coffee, soda and sugary eggnog and choose water instead! Your brain and other organs will thank you.

Rest and Sleep

You may laugh, but getting enough sleep and rest is not just important, it’s crucial. The quality and quantity of your sleep impacts your ability to maintain or lose weight, function at your best, and keep an even emotional keel as the stressors increase. If you find yourself staying up too late and getting up too early (or waking up in the middle of the night to ruminate over your shopping lists , then you have to take action to get your sleep on track—stat!

Exercise

This may seem like a joke to many of us, but getting exercise is important in every season, but it’s probably true that the majority of people slack off on their exercise routines during the winter, especially as the holidays approach.

If, like me, you live in a climate where it begins to get cold in November, your summertime exercise regimen may not translate well in winter. Some of us find ourselves confused and stultified as to what to do to stay fit during the colder months, so getting a handle on this can be very important for your health and ability to resist stress and illness.

Your Emotional Well-Being

I mentioned your spirit earlier in this article, and I want to reiterate again how important it is that you pay attention to your own emotional and spiritual needs during the holiday season.

With the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, many of us are feeling grateful for the safety of our families and friends. However, the holidays can also bring up our losses, our grief, and the people who we miss and are no longer with us. Pay close heed to how you’re feeling, and reach out for help and support if you need it. Support can come from friends, mental health professionals, clergy, an Employee Assistance Program at work, or family members.

Remember, your mental and spiritual well-being are important, and if you’re feeling balanced and healthy mentally, emotionally and spiritually, it allows you to be a more effective nurse and caregiver.

Have Fun and Give Thanks

Of course, the holidays can be stressful, but they can also be joyous and celebratory. One way to care for yourself is to make sure you have time and energy for fun, for family and friends, and for giving thanks for all of the blessings in your life.

We nurses often think of others before we think of ourselves, but being a martyr doesn’t serve you or the people you care about. A nurse who practices good self-care sets an example for others around her, so be the one to set the example by paying attention to your own needs. It’s like they tell you on any airplane before the pilot takes the plane into the sky: you need to put on your own oxygen mask before you help someone with theirs. The same applies to caring for your own needs at work and at home.

Go ahead: nurture yourself, pamper yourself, and make this holiday season one that’s healthy, vibrant and balanced. You deserve it.

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Nursing in the HolidaysKeith Carlson, or Nurse Keith as he’s known to his blog community, has been in the nursing field since 1996.  Keith runs a Nursing Blog called Digital Doorway. A Registered Nurse and Certified Professional Coach, Keith says he has equal passion for both, which he uses “to help nurses live the most healthy, balanced and satisfying lives possible.” When Keith isn’t busy nursing, coaching and blogging, he’s working on “RN.FM Radio: Nursing Unleashed.”   Keith co-founded the station, which strives to be “a place where nursing thought leaders, entrepreneurs, writers, bloggers and gifted clinicians can make their voices heard.”

To check out Keith’s blog, click here. More information about his coaching can be found here
To tune in to RN.FM Radio, click here.
To keep up with him on Facebook, click here.
You can find him on Twitter by clicking here!
Check out our Q& A with Nurse Keith, click here

December’s Nominate a Hero Finalists!

Nominate Your Hero Here!

Congrats to Mark R – our Hero of the Month for December. You can read every finalist’s story below!

Name: Scott D.
Profession: Registered Nurse
Nominated by: Barbara S.

Described as an inspiration to all who know him, Scott is a Registered Nurse working as a home visitor with a hospice unit. Before going into nursing, Scott saved lives as a combat engineer & infantryman with the US Army, jump master, parachute trainer, rescue scuba diver and former Fire Chief. Scott also frequently volunteers to work with the homeless, buying them food and helping them find services and resources. He has also worked with the Veterans Association, attending military funerals and visiting homebound veterans. In his role as a hospice nurse, Scott often brings his beloved dogs with him on home visits. He even volunteered to adopt a veteran’s dog when the owner moved into an assisted living facility. Scott’s nominator, Barbara, describes him as ‘a true hero to his neighbors and friends’ who ‘has been there to help when no one else stepped up.’

Scott DresslerScott D. and his nominator, Barbara

Name: Mark R.
Profession: Firefighter & EMT
Nominated by: Jessica M., a former patient

Mark and Jessica met under the worst of circumstances. A driver crashed into a car carrying Jessica and her daughter, Kendra, on a backwoods rural road. Mark and his team responded to the scene. As responders worked on freeing Jessica from the vehicle, she remembers Mark crawling into the car beside her, assessing her medical state and updating her on Kendra’s condition. “He not only took care of me that day, he held my hand, made me human not just a patient,” remembers Jessica. Following the accident, Mark traveled to check on Jessica’s daughter after she underwent brain surgery. Even now, Mark continues to keep tabs on Kendra, responding whenever she has a medical emergency, even if he’s off-duty, and organizing fellow firefighters to help build a wheelchair ramp for her home. Seven years after their fateful meeting, the three remain close friends.

From Left to Right: Kendra, Mark, Jessica, Willy and Bill. Mark, Willy and Bill all responded to the accident.

Name: Marilyn M.
Profession: Educator
Nominated by: Kendra N.

Marilyn has dedicated more than 40 years of her life to Education. She got her start in the early 70’s, teaching deaf and blind students in one of the first programs developed specifically for these children. Marilyn then moved to a small Alaskan village to teach Special Education. For years, she traveled around Alaska evaluating and writing programs for severely handicapped children and teaching Special Education and Kindergarten.  After 30 years of teaching, Marilyn retired to Oregon and began working as a Reading Teacher.  Motivated by her own struggles as a young student, she has a passion for helping students learn to read and write. Her successful reading program has helped countless young students over the course of her career. Marilyn retired from teaching in 2002, but continued to pursue her passion for education by working as a teacher’s aide, reading assistant and librarian. She is still actively working and volunteering in the Oregon school system, where ‘her excellence in teaching and working with young kids has always been apparent to the kids, the parents, other staff, and administration.’

Marilyn and one of her students in Alaska in the 1980’s

Name: John B.
Profession: Firefighter & Paramedic
Nominated by: Lori B., his wife

The son of a Chief of Police and Registered Nurse, John knew he wanted to be a Fireman at age 2. John started his Firefighting career roughly 38 years ago and launched his nonprofit, Firefighters for Fun, just 8 years later. He now travels the country educating children with his fire truck and ambulance classrooms, passing out extensive resources and spreading his ‘If you can be Heard, you can be Rescued’ motto. The life-saving potential of John’s mission was proved just a few weeks ago, when a wheelchair-bound man was saved from a dangerous house fire after his neighbors were able to find and rescue him thanks to a whistle John had given the man just months earlier. John uses all his spare time, including vacations, raising money for Firefighters for Fun, even converting another old fire truck into a mobile restaurant serving up food and fire knowledge at state fairs to help raise funds.

John teaching children CPR using his HOTS (Helping Others to Survive) Ambulance Classroom

 

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