Category: Past the Patch
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Highlighting Men’s Mental Health During Suicide Prevention Month
Giving Hope A Face In honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, I wanted to repost a story I did back in September of 2023 during my time at Lancaster EMS. One of our drivers, Jeremy, took the digital floor to speak candidly about being a survivor of childhood abuse and his struggles with mental health,…
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Past the Patch: Off the Clock
Off the Clock SPOTLIGHTING RICK CANARD Very few would run into a burning building for a dinner discount, or be the first on scene of a harrowing accident to secure a paycheck. For most, being a first responder is a calling born out of a desire to give back–and it doesn’t magically turn off when…
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Past The Patch: In Our Blood
Past The Patch: In Our Blood SPOTLIGHTING MELANIE It seems most first responders have some form of connection to the field before jumping in feet first. Melanie did, too. “My parents actually started dating at the firehouse.” The eldest of two, Melanie grew up as the daughter of a Deputy Fire Chief and an EMS…
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My Photos On abc27 For Women’s History Month!
My Photos On abc27 For Women’s History Month! Happy Women’s History Month!! I pitched the idea of doing a story on women in EMS to a few agencies and was very grateful abc27 News picked it up 🙂 They even featured some of my photos from Past The Patch on the news! Also really cool that Lynn &…
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Past the Patch: Finding Our Place In The World
Finding Our Place In The World SPOTLIGHTING DONOVAN AUGUST The world is a pretty big place, but for Donovan August, it didn’t always feel that way. “I went to a one-room Amish-Mennonite school that only went to the 8th grade and I homeschooled myself though high school.” Donovan, a non-binary transmasculine person, was raised in…
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Past the Patch: Back In the Driver’s Seat
Back In The Driver’s Seat SPOTLIGHTING JEREMY Off to the right of a short tree lined street tucked between two neighborhoods in Lititz, PA sits a small park: a place of the Earth carved out for people looking for peace and quiet. But the serene sounds of a humble stream and the soft sway of…
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Past the Patch: As Long As You’re Still Breathing
Read about Lynn Koller’s harrowing struggle with addiction and how motherhood and EMS fueled her recovery.
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Past the Patch: Motherhood In Emergency Medicine
Motherhood in Emergency Medicine SPOTLIGHTING LEANNE YAKE “I remember saying, ‘Okay I hear you. Now is the time to follow that dream.’” It was in the early hours of the morning when a vehicle with a bright red and royal blue logo painted on the side pulled up in front of the Yake household. Leanne…
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Past the Patch: The Business of Second Chances
The Business of Second Chances SPOTLIGHTING EMMANUEL “MANNY” PINEDA “It’s never too late to change your life.” To claim EMS is in the business of second chances would be an understatement. But while the first thought that comes to mind upon hearing that may be pictures of patients clinging to life, many of those on…
A.C. Brooke 