Rally for Janet
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I’m submitting this request for my sister Janet who has always had a heart for serving others but who now needs help due to multiple physical challenges. Although grateful for the roof over her head, Janet currently lives in a house with spotty electricity and no insulation. This past winter she had to close off the majority of the house, using space heaters and the oven to keep only moderately warm. Janet doesn’t have a car and, therefore, has no access to do things we take for granted such as going to the grocery store or to a doctor’s appointment. As dire as it is now, her situation could become worse by June when she must vacate her rental home without an affordable place to go. Janet never wanted to be labeled a “disabled” person, quite the contrary. She fought filing for disability for a long time and couldn’t imagine herself with that label attached to her, but unfortunately her body said otherwise. She finally cried Uncle! not having much choice in the matter and knowing that the disability income would mean a financially struggling existence at best. Please continue to read as I want you to know about the sister I’ve admired all these years and some of the amazing things she has done.
Early on Janet developed a love for basketball. She was only 16 when we lost our mother to cancer. Mama was always proud of Janet and each success she had in sports, rarely missing a game. Janet knew the best way to get through such a devastating loss and to honor our mother was to put all her energy into basketball. At East Duplin High School, her love of the game culminated in being MVP, All Conference in her sophomore through senior years, being nominated for High School All-America, named News & Observer’s Class 3A All East for the State of North Carolina, and Who’s Who Among American High School Athletes. Janet received an athletic scholarship in 1978-1979 to the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
In 1981, Janet joined the All-American Red Heads (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkP-aBWJwUE)
women’s professional basketball team, an organization which preceded the now widely recognized Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The All-American Red Heads toured the United States until 1986. Quite the draw, they played only against men’s teams. The Red Heads were like a female version of the Harlem Globetrotters with many showmen techniques and antics designed to entertain the crowd. Today you can visit the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame where you’ll see the Red Heads honored as pioneers of women’s basketball. I can remember how proud I was of her and delighted to see those crimson-haired girls run rings around the men’s ball teams. In fact, one of the games they played was against former NFL football players Terry Bradshaw and Larry Anderson of the Pittsburg Steelers. That game was played in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1982. Every chance we got, the family was there to cheer her on. Janet’s personal best was a career high 44 points, 18 rebounds and 8 assists.
While the Red Heads were a women’s professional basketball team, the pay they received was miniscule compared to the men’s professional teams. Her salary with the Red Heads was a penance compared to NBA contracts, but like so many female players of her time and even today, she did it for the love of the game.
In Janet’s third season with the Red Heads, she sustained a career-ending torn ACL in her left knee. After major reconstructive knee surgery and a year of rehab, Janet had to pursue a world without basketball.
Janet joined the blue-collar work force, but when she was introduced to the world of volunteer fire and rescue, she found a new passion. Janet obtained her EMT certification and upon learning that the City of Kinston Fire Department had openings for firefighters (Kinston being only 30 minutes from our home) she immediately applied.
The Fire Department’s agility course was difficult. That didn’t stop Janet. She ultimately became their first female firefighter, excelling at her job, and within six months had made engineer (driving and operating a 110 aerial ladder truck). In 18 months, after going through a rigorous assessment along with 33 male candidates, Janet scored at the very top and was made Kinston’s first female fire captain. In fact, she was one of the first females in the entire state to do so. By this time, Janet was not only a full-time firefighter captain but on her days off, she also worked with Kinston's Lenoir Memorial Hospital EMS as an EMTI, becoming their first female Crew Chief. She was recognized with a lifesaving award and two unit commendations for excellence in handling harrowing incidents. I asked Janet to tell me about one of her experiences.
“There was an incident involving a van loaded with 9 – 12 year-old football players. They were t-boned by a woman who was eight and a half months pregnant. Engine 11, my crew, was first on the scene. It was summertime and we were all wearing full turn-out gear. If you don’t know what that means, let me tell you it’s heavy, weighing about 30 pounds and hot but necessary to wear for any scenario from vehicle accidents to fighting a three-alarm blaze. On a hot summer day like that day, we were all sweating before we even got started. I can’t remember the exact number of kids in the van, just a lot of screaming and crying. I first saw a little boy with his face impaled through the back glass of the van. Our Battalion Commander and Assistant Chief also responded. We had four critical kids and a third trimester mom-to-be on the scene. One little boy was lying face down in a puddle of water right outside the side door of the van, the door obviously having flown open.
My training and EMS kicked in; I was in my element. I wasn’t as strong as the guys but we were a team, and I knew what had to be done. We all have strengths and weaknesses and lean and trust on one another for different reasons. EMS was my strength and the guys all knew it. As hard as it was, I saw that the little guy impaled in the glass was yelling and crying; but that meant he was breathing. So I turned my attention to another boy and went straight to him, the one lying face-down in water, because no matter what else if he couldn’t get air, and if he wasn’t already, he would soon die. One of my co-workers and I rolled him over simultaneously so as not to compromise his spine. He was unconscious but had a pulse and soon gasped for air. He was critical and by then EMS and extra fire units were there to help with extraction.
I remember checking on some of the other boys, triaging their severity of injuries. The little boy with his face impaled in the windshield was a brave little soul. He hardly let out a whimper as we worked to remove him from his glass prison. I firmly held his little face in my two hands, gently wiping away his quiet tears with my thumbs, praising his bravery and keeping him calm until we had him free. But it was when we started an IV to give him much needed fluids, that he cried loud and hard. Some people just do not like needles. I had help and lots of it that day. I do remember wishing that everybody didn’t know my name so well while at the same time really glad they were counting on me as much as I depended on them. Now that’s a real team. Life Flight air-lifted two of the four critical patients. When all was said and done, incredibly we didn’t lose anyone.
I love my EMS brothers and sisters. It is always a symphony of teamwork. The minute it’s not, it becomes dangerous and chaotic. Sometimes it’s even organized chaos. Any of my fellow first responders will back me up on that one. There is not a one that I wouldn’t risk my life for today. I really miss those days and all the people I worked with.”
As you can imagine, given the nature of firefighting and EMS, injuries will happen. Multiple times during her career, Janet received injuries associated with her neck and back, and ultimately, a work-related accident began the onset of painful years of herniated and bulging disc issues for her. Being the strong athlete Janet was, each time she fought her way back and with determination, competitiveness and sheer will power, she pressed on.
By 2000, Janet was suffering from degenerative disc disease both in her neck and lower back to the point where she was quite limited in the work she could perform. Additionally, she had to have three reconstructive knee surgeries. Examining her opportunities, she chose to pursue a professional truck driving career, obtained her CDL and began driving 18-wheelers coast-to-coast. The stories she could tell of her time on the road! How she loved driving across country. Eventually even that became too much.
I say all this because I want you to know that Janet has worked hard in the face of many physical adversities, served her community, and helped those in need with a modicum of recognition for her efforts. I think my sister deserves a chance to have a dependable car, a clean and decent roof over her head, and a way to meet normal medical and monthly living expenses. Life keeps throwing curveballs and she continues to persevere. Last year, having to make the choice between food, rent, and transportation, her car was repossessed the same day she was hospitalized for a 3-level spinal fusion. Her surgery went well, but on a daily basis, she has many more issues to deal with. She has severe osteoarthritis in her knees along with lower back herniated and bulging discs and is facing possible hip surgery, knee replacement surgery, and bunion surgery on both feet. It helps, but her small disability check doesn’t even come close to doing the job.
While facing all these physical issues, her lease agreement ends in June with no option to renew. She has no transportation and it’s impossible for her to save for anything affordable or to make the required deposits for utilities or for a new home. If anyone can help, we will be so humbled. Our goal is to find a place where she and her black lab, Rocky, can be safe and comfortable, and transportation so she can get to her doctor appointments, the grocery store, and church.
My sister has been a quiet but determined woman in many ways. We’re appealing to you, your friends and family, former teammates, associates, perhaps someone she has helped in the past or has been helped on one of your worst days.
A heartfelt thank you for anything you can do.
With kindest regards and blessings to all of you,
Annette (Janet’s sister)
Early on Janet developed a love for basketball. She was only 16 when we lost our mother to cancer. Mama was always proud of Janet and each success she had in sports, rarely missing a game. Janet knew the best way to get through such a devastating loss and to honor our mother was to put all her energy into basketball. At East Duplin High School, her love of the game culminated in being MVP, All Conference in her sophomore through senior years, being nominated for High School All-America, named News & Observer’s Class 3A All East for the State of North Carolina, and Who’s Who Among American High School Athletes. Janet received an athletic scholarship in 1978-1979 to the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
In 1981, Janet joined the All-American Red Heads (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkP-aBWJwUE)
women’s professional basketball team, an organization which preceded the now widely recognized Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The All-American Red Heads toured the United States until 1986. Quite the draw, they played only against men’s teams. The Red Heads were like a female version of the Harlem Globetrotters with many showmen techniques and antics designed to entertain the crowd. Today you can visit the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame where you’ll see the Red Heads honored as pioneers of women’s basketball. I can remember how proud I was of her and delighted to see those crimson-haired girls run rings around the men’s ball teams. In fact, one of the games they played was against former NFL football players Terry Bradshaw and Larry Anderson of the Pittsburg Steelers. That game was played in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1982. Every chance we got, the family was there to cheer her on. Janet’s personal best was a career high 44 points, 18 rebounds and 8 assists.
While the Red Heads were a women’s professional basketball team, the pay they received was miniscule compared to the men’s professional teams. Her salary with the Red Heads was a penance compared to NBA contracts, but like so many female players of her time and even today, she did it for the love of the game.
In Janet’s third season with the Red Heads, she sustained a career-ending torn ACL in her left knee. After major reconstructive knee surgery and a year of rehab, Janet had to pursue a world without basketball.
Janet joined the blue-collar work force, but when she was introduced to the world of volunteer fire and rescue, she found a new passion. Janet obtained her EMT certification and upon learning that the City of Kinston Fire Department had openings for firefighters (Kinston being only 30 minutes from our home) she immediately applied.
The Fire Department’s agility course was difficult. That didn’t stop Janet. She ultimately became their first female firefighter, excelling at her job, and within six months had made engineer (driving and operating a 110 aerial ladder truck). In 18 months, after going through a rigorous assessment along with 33 male candidates, Janet scored at the very top and was made Kinston’s first female fire captain. In fact, she was one of the first females in the entire state to do so. By this time, Janet was not only a full-time firefighter captain but on her days off, she also worked with Kinston's Lenoir Memorial Hospital EMS as an EMTI, becoming their first female Crew Chief. She was recognized with a lifesaving award and two unit commendations for excellence in handling harrowing incidents. I asked Janet to tell me about one of her experiences.
“There was an incident involving a van loaded with 9 – 12 year-old football players. They were t-boned by a woman who was eight and a half months pregnant. Engine 11, my crew, was first on the scene. It was summertime and we were all wearing full turn-out gear. If you don’t know what that means, let me tell you it’s heavy, weighing about 30 pounds and hot but necessary to wear for any scenario from vehicle accidents to fighting a three-alarm blaze. On a hot summer day like that day, we were all sweating before we even got started. I can’t remember the exact number of kids in the van, just a lot of screaming and crying. I first saw a little boy with his face impaled through the back glass of the van. Our Battalion Commander and Assistant Chief also responded. We had four critical kids and a third trimester mom-to-be on the scene. One little boy was lying face down in a puddle of water right outside the side door of the van, the door obviously having flown open.
My training and EMS kicked in; I was in my element. I wasn’t as strong as the guys but we were a team, and I knew what had to be done. We all have strengths and weaknesses and lean and trust on one another for different reasons. EMS was my strength and the guys all knew it. As hard as it was, I saw that the little guy impaled in the glass was yelling and crying; but that meant he was breathing. So I turned my attention to another boy and went straight to him, the one lying face-down in water, because no matter what else if he couldn’t get air, and if he wasn’t already, he would soon die. One of my co-workers and I rolled him over simultaneously so as not to compromise his spine. He was unconscious but had a pulse and soon gasped for air. He was critical and by then EMS and extra fire units were there to help with extraction.
I remember checking on some of the other boys, triaging their severity of injuries. The little boy with his face impaled in the windshield was a brave little soul. He hardly let out a whimper as we worked to remove him from his glass prison. I firmly held his little face in my two hands, gently wiping away his quiet tears with my thumbs, praising his bravery and keeping him calm until we had him free. But it was when we started an IV to give him much needed fluids, that he cried loud and hard. Some people just do not like needles. I had help and lots of it that day. I do remember wishing that everybody didn’t know my name so well while at the same time really glad they were counting on me as much as I depended on them. Now that’s a real team. Life Flight air-lifted two of the four critical patients. When all was said and done, incredibly we didn’t lose anyone.
I love my EMS brothers and sisters. It is always a symphony of teamwork. The minute it’s not, it becomes dangerous and chaotic. Sometimes it’s even organized chaos. Any of my fellow first responders will back me up on that one. There is not a one that I wouldn’t risk my life for today. I really miss those days and all the people I worked with.”
As you can imagine, given the nature of firefighting and EMS, injuries will happen. Multiple times during her career, Janet received injuries associated with her neck and back, and ultimately, a work-related accident began the onset of painful years of herniated and bulging disc issues for her. Being the strong athlete Janet was, each time she fought her way back and with determination, competitiveness and sheer will power, she pressed on.
By 2000, Janet was suffering from degenerative disc disease both in her neck and lower back to the point where she was quite limited in the work she could perform. Additionally, she had to have three reconstructive knee surgeries. Examining her opportunities, she chose to pursue a professional truck driving career, obtained her CDL and began driving 18-wheelers coast-to-coast. The stories she could tell of her time on the road! How she loved driving across country. Eventually even that became too much.
I say all this because I want you to know that Janet has worked hard in the face of many physical adversities, served her community, and helped those in need with a modicum of recognition for her efforts. I think my sister deserves a chance to have a dependable car, a clean and decent roof over her head, and a way to meet normal medical and monthly living expenses. Life keeps throwing curveballs and she continues to persevere. Last year, having to make the choice between food, rent, and transportation, her car was repossessed the same day she was hospitalized for a 3-level spinal fusion. Her surgery went well, but on a daily basis, she has many more issues to deal with. She has severe osteoarthritis in her knees along with lower back herniated and bulging discs and is facing possible hip surgery, knee replacement surgery, and bunion surgery on both feet. It helps, but her small disability check doesn’t even come close to doing the job.
While facing all these physical issues, her lease agreement ends in June with no option to renew. She has no transportation and it’s impossible for her to save for anything affordable or to make the required deposits for utilities or for a new home. If anyone can help, we will be so humbled. Our goal is to find a place where she and her black lab, Rocky, can be safe and comfortable, and transportation so she can get to her doctor appointments, the grocery store, and church.
My sister has been a quiet but determined woman in many ways. We’re appealing to you, your friends and family, former teammates, associates, perhaps someone she has helped in the past or has been helped on one of your worst days.
A heartfelt thank you for anything you can do.
With kindest regards and blessings to all of you,
Annette (Janet’s sister)
Organizer and beneficiary
Annette Grady Britton
Organizer
Selma, NC
Janet Broadway
Beneficiary