Discovering That Help Is There When You Need It

Late on a Sunday evening we needed help. My father-in-law from out-of-town was having some relatively unsettling symptoms that seemed to mimic the signs of a stroke. I grabbed my computer and looked for help there. I found the “FAST” questions to ask people if you suspect they’re having a stroke. We started going through them and a couple of the symptoms were at least mildly present. So we called 911 for help.

Fire House

Before we knew it there were five firefighters and EMTs in our upstairs bedroom. They couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. It was determined to head for our local emergency room. My father-in-law was placed in the ambulance and we headed out in our car soon after. We caught up to the ambulance on the freeway and got off the exit to the predetermined emergency room but the ambulance kept going. We didn’t know what was going on.

We got to the emergency room and waited for them to show up. They didn’t. Pretty soon a fire truck pulled up. A fireman who had been at our house got out and told us the condition had worsened in the ambulance so they decided to go to the best hospital for strokes in Orlando. They took the fire truck all the way to our home to tell us but found that we had already left. Then they turned around and went all the way back to the ER to tell us. It was help above and beyond what they were required to do.

Soon we were at the hospital’s emergency room. Tests began to take place and and medical personnel sprang into action. Creativity even came into play. A neurological doctor was brought into the room through the miracle of a device that was like a portable computer with Skype built in. He asked questions and made some determinations. Pretty soon my father-in-law was admitted to the hospital.

It was now nearly 1:00 in the morning. And when we got up to the room there waited a young nurse who had a welcoming smile on her face and as pleasant a demeanor as you could imagine. If you’re going to end up in the hospital you would definitely want this kind of welcoming committee. She provided help all night until the next shift nurse came in the next morning.

From firefighters, to EMTs, to doctors, to nurses, to therapists, help was available as soon as it was needed, even if that happened to be when it all started: late on a Sunday evening. It’s pretty reassuring to know that when you really, really need it, help is a phone call away. A hospital with incredibly dedicated workers is just a short trip away. Help is available on your call button in the hospital when you need something, even if it’s 4:30 in the morning. Help is there even if it’s over a Skype-like device.

In the end, it was a mild stroke that required only a two-night hospital stay, new medication, and a change in diet. But help was there all along the way whenever it was needed.

We live in a society that values help.

We live in a society filled with people who give their very lives to provide help. They work in helping professions. They are firefighters, EMTs, doctors, nurses, and therapists. They work hours that many of us wouldn’t want to. They’re there early in the morning or late at night.

And I, for one, am glad they are. If you work in a “helping profession,” thank you. You probably don’t hear it enough, but thank you. You are appreciated. You are needed. You are an essential part of our lives.

Thank you for giving of yourself.

How can you thank someone who works in a “helping profession” today?

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4 thoughts on “Discovering That Help Is There When You Need It

  1. Well, God was certainly present that night. I know that you are incredibly grateful to all the people that he put in your path to help your father-in-law. The ambulance even took him to a better hospital for his condition! It started with you being observant and realizing that help was needed. You had more to be grateful for on your birthday. Praise God! I’ve experienced that kind of help when needed too. It’s hard to thank someone enough when they are in that role, but you try to express it the best you can.

  2. How comforting to know that we aren’t left alone. It seems that God’s promise to never leave or forsake us is often worked out through the vocations of others. I’m glad that things worked out in this way. Thanks for sharing. Hope you get some rest during this very intense Lenten season.