Letter to the Editor

The trip I never wanted to take ...

Friday, July 5, 2013

To the editor:

My husband and I have been very fortunate to travel in our 44 years of marriage. We've traveled to five countries and 40 of the states, of course, visiting many of the states several times because several have so many interesting places to visit. So, as you will understand, I love to travel.

However, on April 27, I found myself taking a trip I never wanted to take. That trip was a ride in an ambulance, under very serious circumstances for me and very scary ones fro my family. The ambulance service was Pafford EMS and my two attendants were brothers, Gerald and Cordell. Imagine that!

Since I had to take this trip I never wanted to take, I am so thankful I found myself with Gerald and Cordell. I quickly felt in very capable hands. I felt like these guys truly cared about me, their patient. I felt "at ease" with them even though I knew I had just been in very serious trouble, though in the very capable hands of my daughter, an RN, who was visiting at the time. However, as one might expect, she did not have the proper emergency medications or equipment to take care of me.

When these guys took me into the ambulance, I was still not "out of the woods" but better than I had been for the previous 20 minutes. One of the guys started my IV. I have been unfortunate to have had many IVs during my lifetime. He outdid so many health care givers who have placed IVs in me. I didn't even realize when he was finished. He rocked! I was so pleased because I super hate IVs.

I must say that there have been many times that I have received poor patient care by health care givers and facilities and my own daughter received some very poor health care while hospitalized in another state just this year during a very serious illness. I was so pleased with the patient care I received from Gerald and Cordell. Anyone who has to take this dreaded trip will be blessed if Gerald and Cordell are your care givers. God bless you guys for taking such good care of me and for all you do for all your patients. We need more like you. Pafford EMS is fortunate to have you as employees. It just makes their services better for the citizens of this area.

My daughter is a great caregiver and is such a believer in great quality patient care and often people take the time to let her know how much they appreciate her. It stands out in today's medical world where so many people in the field take it just as a job. You guys certainly stood out and I certainly want to give praise where praise is due. It's so good to know there are other people out there who believe in PATIENT CARE! It's not just a job. Again, God bless you for taking such good care of me!

Mary Mosley
Blytheville