<p>As happy as we are to have him home, DS has definitely had better weeks. </p>
<p>Right before he left Elon, one of the Campus Security Guards, who my son had come to know pretty well due to their mutual involvement in the local volunteer fire and rescue squads, had a massive heart attack and died a few days later. 46 years old. </p>
<p>Then a few night ago he responded to a bad auto accident which turned out to be a fatality – 17 year old girl from his old High School. What’s worse, my son (who’s an EMT) ended up treating her 7-year old brother who was in the car and had gone into shock and had to be evacuated via chopper. The little boy knew his sister had been killed – it was, unfortunately, quite obvious. </p>
<p>And then yesterday a volunteer at another fire company was involved in a truly idiotic and despicable action. Out of control speeding (and probably a DUI) hit the volunteer while she was attending to a motorcycle accident on the side of the road. Driver fled the scene, and they are still looking for him. They took her off life support and she died this morning. Delaware volunteer firefighters are an incredibly close-knit group so this sort of thing hits all of them hard. </p>
<p>Sigh. It’s just hard watching your kids deal with such stuff, especially at this time of the year. </p>
<p>What an awful series of events. Sorry to hear. Hopefully the time at home will provide some level of comfort as well as a chance to decompress a bit.</p>
<p>Wow, I can’t imagine such a series of events happening all at once to anyone !!
I am sorry that he has of deal with all of this.
I am sorry, you have to deal with this too , as his mother.
It is unimaginable.</p>
<p>That is horrible and I feel so badly for your son (and you). Just reading about this is difficult, let alone being so personally involved as your son is. My prayers and thoughts are with all of you.</p>
<p>lderochi - I always look to see you on cc. So sad that this time it is with such a hit of devastating news. I hope you will have some peace this season.</p>
<p>Thanks. He seems to be doing okay, but he is a lot quieter than usual. Just processing what he’s feeling, I think. He said he was a little surprised at how much the 17-year old fatality hit him, as he’s usually able to emotionally “disengage” when he’s in the midst of an EMT run so he can get the job done. He thinks it’s because the the 17 year old sister/7 year old brother situation made him think of his own little brother, where there is a 10-year difference. He found it hard to treat the little boy without thinking of his own little brother. Ugh.</p>
<p>The deaths of friends, colleagues or classmates would be difficult enough to hear about, let alone experience. Your poor son. No good advice here, I’m afraid, just sympathy and good wishes.
I agree with MoWC - it’s hard even to read about,. Those poor families.</p>
<p>My heart is broken for these people, for your son and for you. It is so difficult as our children grow and we are no longer able to “fix” things for them. </p>
<p>I hope he is able to connect with some other EMTs to talk or just be together. My spouse is a pilot in the military and there is a comfort to be found, even when it goes unspoken, in being in the company of others who truly understand. </p>
<p>How wonderful that your son gives of himself and his time like this - and how truly awful to have such a run of deeply affecting, terribly sad events. Thoughts and prayers are with the families, of course, and also with your son and you. I hope in time the knowledge of the good he’s doing helps to lift him somewhat.</p>
<p>Thank you. While he’s not religious, he does take firefighter/EMT funerals seriously. I know he’s disappointed that he had to miss the funeral for the Elon firefighter, but there was no avoiding it. The funeral for the emt/firefighter who was hit by the car up here will be a full bells and whistles “line of duty” funeral, and he will attend with several other members of his company in dress uniform. </p>
<p>And yes, that does help. As Pug mentioned, the most comfort can be found with the group of EMT and firefighters that he hangs with who do understand, I was never in the military, police force, fire service, etc. – but with my son (and also by living in a “military” town) I’ve certainly seen how much these groups pull together at times like this.</p>
<p>He may also end up attending the funeral of the 17-year old. That’s actually a very touchy issue among first responders – my son has always been very adamantly against going to the funerals of fatalities from his calls (I think he said there were 7 over the 4 years he’s been doing this). He also does not want to hear (either good or bad) how people do after he transports and transfers them to the hospital. He really tries to stay emotionally separated. Other first responders have a totally different opinion, by the way – whatever works for each individual, as far as I’m concerned. But I’m rambling – getting back to the point, he may make an exception and attend the funeral of the 17-year old. He recently found out that while he didn’t know her personally, she was a very good friend of one of his best friend’s younger brother. </p>
<p>And the 7 year old is fine, btw. The medevac was standard precautionary protocol, apparently, for any young passenger involved in a crash with a fatality. He was in shock at the scene and I’m sure will need some good professional help in the future. But physically he was unharmed.</p>
<p>How awful for you and your son, particularly at the holidays. He’s learning lessons of loss and pain that most of don’t learn until much later. I can hear your well-deserved pride in him through your posts, and he sounds like an amazing young man, but it must be far more difficult when he’s treating somebody he knows, even secondhand. My best to both of you in this tough time.</p>
<p>Oh man, that’s really unfortunate that your son had to be somehow related to all those tragic events… I particularly feel bad for the 7 year old brother. How will he live the rest of his life with that image in his head?</p>
<p>Please tell your son that he has many CC cyberfans…and that we are extremely PROUD of him…what incredible character he has…you have done a wonderful job with this young man. I am sending your family a few cyber smiles and laughs for this holiday season because your home deserves them. I believe in God…and that there are divine plans…while not always evident. It is remarkable to think of one so young exposed and helping at such a variety of sorrowful events. I send along my very best wishes for a joyful time together during the holidays and here is to a healthy 2009.</p>