To the editor:
This is an open letter to the South Cariboo emergency personnel- with heartfelt appreciation.
On Dec. 6, my three-year-old daughter had a seizure.
I called 9-1-1 and the emergency dispatch operator stayed on the phone until help arrived – keeping me calm, reassuring me I wasn’t dealing with this incredibly terrifying situation on my own.
Emergency personnel arrived in record time – not just the ambulance I expected, but police and fire rescue as well.
I am so full of gratitude for the many people who helped me cope. My memory is already blurring around the edges, but I will never forget the kindness shown to me:
• 100 Mile House RCMP Const. Samantha who found my daughter a carseat when the ambulance got stuck, since mine was unavailable.
• The neighbours who came over to see if they could help and to make sure my other children had someone to stay with them.
• The drivers on the road who safely pulled over for the police truck with one sick little girl in the back. • The kind paramedics who helped me feel like everything was going to be OK, and the staff at 100 Mile District General Hospital who did a fabulous job of keeping this scared mama calm.
• Special thanks to the nurse who rode in the back of the ambulance all the way to Kamloops despite not having any way to get back, just to make extra sure my daughter would have the best care possible. • And to the paramedics with Clinton ambulance. Melanie, your thoughtful gesture will be paid forward!
You are amazing ladies and gents; you will never realize how thankful I am!
I hope this season and future years bring nothing but amazing things to all in this field of work.
You sacrifice so much to keep the rest of us safe and I will never stop being grateful to you for it!
Sarah Smith
108 Mile Ranch