So, you’re a 14-year old kid from Illinois on vacation on a Mexico-bound cruise liner in December. Lucky, yah?
Until your appendix bursts at sea, and then, you know: Not so much.
Except that there’s a US Navy aircraft carrier not so very far away, and it’s got a modern medical center tucked away inside. They send a helicopter to get you, and after you’re met on the flight deck by the ship’s senior medical officer you’re brought below in a weapons elevator, down to medical. Where the medical staff successfully conducts an emergency appendectomy.
Lucky.
Hmm… So that’s what it takes to get aboard Reagan, hunh?
Anybody know how to intentionally upset an appendix?
Great idea FbL! We may have to change it up a bit. Multiple fracture of femur comes to mind… Great story he’ll have for the rest of his life.
meant to say she…
Hmm,,,,
Yet another story that prolly won’t see the light of day except amongst us. Sigh.
Here’s my story: I spent a long several hours hunkered down on the deck of P-3 bound from Lajes (Azores) to Andrews AFB back in the day. I was sitting beside a litter tied down to the tie-down points that held a young boy. He’d taken a fall off the cliffs and had a piece of his skull driven into his brain. I held his hand that whole flight up until it was time to buckle up for landing. He had 2 sets of IV bags going into him, and he never said a word the whole time. However, I felt his hand grip mine. I knew he knew what was going on. I talked him through that flight, and made certain he knew that he was never alone.
I haven’t a clue how things turned out. We cycled back to Lajes within a few hours, and the next day were back to normal flight ops. That singular time, however, has stayed with me. I can’t even remember his face, but I remember his hand in mine, and I am glad that, for whatever it was worth, I could respond to him, and help him hold on till we could transefer him off to the AF medical crews.
I’m NOT saying this to toot my own horn. I’m saying this because what I did, and what the TR folks did, is a daily occurence. It’s something that we do day in and day out that never seems to make it to the front page. Every day of every week of every month of every year, US Armed Forces folks participate in little miracles. They do it freely, with no thought of anything else than that of compassion. They do it because it’s the right thing to do.
It’s what sets us apart from those we fight. It’s being part of the light, rather than being part of the darkness.
respects,
And my deepest respects to you, AW1Tim. And great affection. You and others like you make us very proud.
Marianne Matthews
Amen.
Just another day at the office for the Navy medical team- aboard ship, the 8404’s out with the grunts (the real heroes!), and the folks manning the dispensary on the bases and the duty doc aboard ship.
THANKS TO ALL OF THEM— and the rest of the team that delivers the patients to the docs.
And to the guys and gals at the other end of hte spear putting a bunch of hurt on the bad guys.
YEA for OUR TEAM! All of it! Present and past (and almost past……)
And here I was thinking I couldn’t be more proud, or more impressed, by our troops…
You folks continue to astonish.
Outstanding. Glad to hear that he is recovering.
When I hear stories like this, or how the Navy used LCACs to ferry fire-fighting equipment to Catalina Island, I can’t help but wonder what certain anti-military communities (I’m looking in your direction, San Fran) will react when they need help from DoD assets.
That’s a great story AW1.
I have one question… “Were the doctors cute?”
AW1Tim wrote: It’s what sets us apart from those we fight. It’s being part of the light, rather than being part of the darkness.
Correct. So last month I say America fights for freedom. Hmmph, she scoffs. ‘Then why you always do war?’ There’s not much to say to the morally blind.
Doesn’t matter. Do what’s right, keep your honor up front and your pride inside, and have faith in justice.
Bless you all, and may G-d bless the United States of America.
Truly a wonderful account of our readiness and picture of who we are. Can you imagine being this young girl and her family? Probably her first flight in a helicopter, off the deck of a cruise ship, then to the carrier.
Hopefully she wasn’t alone, but it looked like it in the elevator photo, in the care of Navy medics and then the surgery. As the father of three girls, she had to have courage. Then the gratitute spills over, from her and her family.
Thousands of stories just like this have happened since our military mobilized after 9/11. DNO worked in Baghdad’s military hospital in the green zone and reported so very, very many similar acts of good will. Children, hands and arms, legs, burns and bombs… all were treated, some brought to U.S. for advanced care.
These events prove our value and who we are!
I wonder what she’s thinking about career choices right about now…
If your home town were stricken by some horrible natural disaster, what would you rather have relatively close by, a single CSG or any number of UN humanitarian relief agencies? I think there’s a 14 year old girl, sans appendix, in Illinois who knows the better choice.
Way to go evil warmongers!
sarc/off
And the fact is that they would have rescued and operated on anyone on that cruise ship in a life threatening condition, not just an American.
God bless them and our country for fielding such a military.
Thanks Navy, for all you do. Angels of the sea.
I can’t believe this was actually on GMA this morning. Bravo to the crew of the Reagan. I know this girl’s family and the entire country are proud of you right now! And just think, I bet she has had Sailors/Marines fawning over her since she arrived on ship. I have a feeling when she arrives in San Diego today they will do something special for her.
Oh great…when I had MY appedicitis attack at age 40 I h ad to drive MYSELF to the hospital…after tryin ghard to cionvince my wife (the RN) “No, it is not a kidney stone!” And then have to spend 5 hours in the ER convincing the doc “No it was not a kidney stone!”
Where was my helicopter ride?!?!?!
I bet they even give the kid a pony