Im a fire man
Many times, just seeing the shock on people's faces when they hear what I do with my condition is enough to keep me pushing forward. The physical demands of my jobs are very high, but for me it is all about the drive to do something that a healthy person can do and do it just as well (or better). As a firefighter, I've had to enforce strict safety measures for myself and wear a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), which is required for fighting fires and works by restricting your breathing even further. But I believe that I was blessed with a challenge that I can use to benefit others.ĭuring my military training, I constantly had to tell myself that I could do it - especially because the military had no clue that I had this condition. Lack of sleep from the job and from spending many nights coughing has made things even more difficult. I have to struggle every day to get up and push forward. Army as a combat medic, and I recently finished a bachelor's degree in health care management and am now finishing my nursing degree. After 17 years of public service, I have made it to the level of not only fire chief, but also a flight paramedic. I've had a successful career as a paramedic and a firefighter, constantly reminding myself that I could do anything a healthy person could do and I wouldn't let CF get in the way.
Though the road has been long and I have witnessed a great deal of suffering, it has only driven me to continue. The doctors highly discouraged this because of the risk of lung injuries and being exposed to multiple infectious diseases.īut I realized that if I wanted to make an impact in the lives of others and really test my potential, I would need to make the decision that allowed me to stay true to myself. I had spent my childhood riding in the back of my grandfather's firetruck, and I knew that this was the path I wanted too.
When I was 17, I decided I wanted to become a paramedic and a firefighter. By the time I made it to my late teens, I wanted to find a way that I could make a difference, while managing my disease. I was diagnosed about one month after I was born and was often in and out of the hospital for long stays. I have spent the last 35 years of my life living with cystic fibrosis.