One Small Step

I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a nurse, but I was a single mom with little resources and struggling to survive on public assistance. I had no idea how I would ever be able to pay for school. One day, while coming home from Eleanor’s Tavern with my best friend Siobhan, I saw a huge, rectangular, red and black sign outside of the Massapequa Fire House looking for volunteer EMT’s. At a time when I felt like life would not let me move forward, I learned that achieving a dream sometimes only takes one small step.

I saw the sign as we approached the light at Verona and New Amsterdam. I could not imagine what it was at first. It was dark out so all I could see was the flashing of red and blue Christmas lights. We came to a stop at the intersection, so I took a closer look. It had never occurred to me to volunteer for the fire department. I was suddenly excited and needed to talk this over with my mom. I stored the number and website in my phone and hoped that I would remember this in the morning.

The next morning, I woke to find that I had set a reminder on my phone to talk to my mom. Go me! She was already in the kitchen making coffee. I was hoping to be up first to rehearse what I was going to say. To say my mom is difficult is an understatement. I needed her help with babysitting if I was going to pull this off.

“How am I going to handle these kids?” she barked. Already she had my temper flaring, but I kept my cool. “I moved in here to help you after your stroke” I said. “Now I need to get my life back together.” I told her that I would make sure I found other people to help. “If we are ever going to get out of this basement, I have to do this.” After she huffed, threw some curse words, and slammed her bedroom door, she came out crying, hugged me, and told me to go ahead and call them.

I called them later that morning when I was sure someone would be there. The guy who answered told me I had to go to the website. Now I was thinking some curse words of my own. After I completed the application online it said someone would contact me in seven to ten days. I received a call the next day from someone that sounded like the same guy as the day before. He told me training classes start in two weeks and asked if I could come in tomorrow for an interview.

The interview was at the firehouse where I saw the sign. I sat in the lobby with three guys who looked to be about 19. I was called in first. It was the same guy from the phone. Another curse word came to mind. The interview only lasted about 10 minutes. This was all happening so fast. He told me to report here at 7:00am in two weeks to begin training.

I reported back to the firehouse for CPR training. Only those same three guys from the day of the interview were with me. I was a nervous wreck that first day, but not just about the training. Would I be able to finish? The kids’ father had promised to help my mom with babysitting, and so did Siobhan. I just hoped they would be there until the end for me.

Over the next several weeks I was certified in CPR and first aid and learned various other techniques. We were taught how to triage and deal with a variety of emergencies and difficult situations. We were taken out on ride-alongs and given the opportunity to practice things we learned under close supervision. This was the hardest thing I had ever done. But, on the last day of training, I got to help deliver a baby.

Until that baby came into the world, I was questioning if I had made the right decision. I cried. It was a wonderful cry. This is what I was meant to do. I had made it. Everything worked out. Everyone was there for me when I needed them. It was not a paying job. But it was the first small step toward Keiser University where I am now a nursing student.