Help Nathan, a Lifelong EMT Hero

Hello, my name is Nathan Gary. I am a husband, father, grandfather and friend of many. I have spent my adult life working helping people in their time of need. My father worked for GE Appliance Repair Service, where as a child I learned to repair household appliances like washer/dryer, dishwasher and refrigerators. I started as an EMT before I graduated high school and continued my education to become a paramedic just after I graduated. I became certified in many areas of emergency rescue. Certified swift water rescue, high level rescue, confined space, vehicle extraction are just a few. At 21 yrs old, I became a Deputy Sheriff, where I served the County of Cabarrus in NC for many years. During my days off, I would help family or friends with appliance troubles, electrical or plumbing issues. Once I left the EMS field for Law Enforcement, I was unable to keep up with continuing education requirements to maintain my paramedic certification. Back then there were no online classes. Therefore, I let my certification expire. I was active in my youngest two children’s sports by coaching baseball teams at Kannapolis Dixie Youth league for 7 years. Moving forward several years. I moved my family from North Carolina to Virginia where we currently live. At age 43, seeing that even though my certification had expired, I steal had the medical knowledge, I decided to go back to class and get my NREMT Basic certification in VA and continue being there for people in their time of emergency need. I served Smyth County in VA for 10 years as a first responder and Chief of Saltville Rescue Squad (3 yrs) before the Town of Saltville took control.

In December of 2024, around Christmas, a sneeze changed my life. Yes, a sneeze! When I sneezed, I felt a pull in my mid back area. Normal you say! Yeah, that’s what I thought. I went through the month of January thinking I had pulled a muscle. I continued to work at Richardson’s and remodeled a restaurant for a friend taking Aleve twice a day. Sometime around January 15, 2025, my left shoulder and collar bone began to hurt and I was unable to use my left arm normally. So finally on January 21st, I decided to go to Urgent Care for some type of muscle relaxers. X-rays were taken of my back and shoulder. Results showed a T9 fracture in my back but nothing in my shoulder. I was referred to an Orthopedic, where an MRI was ordered. On January 27th, I received my results from my MRI. Results confirmed my T9 compression fraction of my spine along with malignant tumors along the rest of my spine. CANCER! Not the result I was ever expecting. After a Pet Scan, cancer was confirmed and diagnosed as Multiple Myeloma (bone cancer). Multiple myeloma is considered treatable but not cureable.

I have now been under the care of an Oncologist, Dr Musgrave. I receive chemotherapy treatments twice a week and take daily medications to include pain medication for comfort. I haven’t worked since February 3,2025. I did receive one round of radiation where a broken left collar bone was confirmed. That explains why my left arm was not usable. The Dr’s suggested that I do not lift over 5 pounds, walk for extended times, and use a cane to assist when walking.

Dr Musgrave has been working closely with UVA Cancer Center, 3 hours away in Charlottesville VA. I am scheduled for a Stem Cell transplant in September with many prerequisite appointments in August at UVA, along with my chemo treatments here close to home. It’s going to be busy.

As a person that never stopped being active, this has really set me back. I am staying positive that I will beat this horrible disease. Some people joke about me being able to talk my way out of cancer. I have one goal facing cancer. I want to touch or change one person’s life in a positive manner. If I can do that, EVERYTHING I go through will be 100% worth it.

So, that’s pretty much my story. I spent my adult life helping others in their time of need only to end up needing help. Oh, how things change in an instance, or SNEEZE!!

Nathan Gary