Boost for EMTs: Jacob Levy's Gratitude Fund

Give EMTs a Break!

My name is Jacob Levy. I am a 17-year-old junior at Clarence High School. I’ve always been interested in the medical field because I’ve watched my dad in action as a dentist my entire life.

At 7:30 a.m. on February 16th, my journey toward a career in medicine began to become a reality. Instead of waking up to get ready for school with a hot shower and a nice bagel like any normal Friday morning, I woke up to the most excruciating and frightening abdominal pain I had ever felt.

My mom drove me to Urgent Care, where I waited for what felt like an eternity (actually about ten minutes) to see a doctor. After a few minutes of talking to multiple doctors, they called an ambulance for me and I headed to Oishei Children’s Hospital. On the ambulance ride, I spoke to the EMT about the situation and then received pain medication. As soon as the medicine kicked in and I could focus on something other than the pain, I began asking about what his life was like as an emergency medic. He told me amazing, eye-opening stories about what he does and how much he loves his job. Not only did this take my mind off of the scary situation I was in, but it sparked my interest even more in exploring my possibilities in the medical field.

I now truly appreciate and am interested in our incredible emergency medical system. Now that I am thankfully through this unexpected crisis, I can see myself learning more about helping others through life’s unexpected and painful emergencies.

Since my experience, I frequently notice ambulances waiting in parking lots (especially near coffee shops) for urgent calls for help, just like mine. Because of the superior care I received, I want to give back to EMTs to let them know how much I appreciate their help.

“Give EMTs a Break” is designed to raise funds to purchase gift cards at local coffee shops for all the dedicated EMTs working and waiting for emergency calls. I hope this small gift will give them a well-deserved boost during those downtimes during their shift so they can be refreshed and ready for the next emergency call.

Thank you.