Yesterday we had the amazing opportunity to help Dillon’s parents and Dr. Markman with “Do It For Dillon” training at the Wisconsin EMS Association’s annual expo in Green Bay. Friday was student day, and about three hundred high school kids were there to participate and to learn. We were unsure how things would go with that many kids all at once, but we were very impressed with the students who came. They were polite, respectful, and definitely there to learn. A few of the kids were from local schools; a large group came from WCTC, a tech school closer to our home, that offers fire and EMS training for adults, college students, and even for high school students through their dual enrollment program; and Janean even talked to a mom who brought her daughter from Minnesota, after a sports activity the night before. This mother and daughter arrived in Green Bay at one in the morning, slept a couple of hours at a hotel, and then were one of the first into the expo. Again, these were sharp kids who wanted to learn, not just to get out of class for the day.
Dillon’s mom did the training and our family walked around helping the students as they used the training devices on themselves for practice. We train with five devices, and each one is a little different. It is good for people to have experience with multiple devices, since we never know what will be available if the need to use one would arise. The training took about an hour, and the kids listened well. They all wanted to be there, they were serious about the things that they were learning and they were aware of the responsibilities that they might have someday. At the end of the session, Hannah’s picture was shown, and I had a little bit of time to share her story with the group and to help make the need for this knowledge more “real” to them. I am always reminded that we (Dillon’s parents, Andrew’s parents, and us), have been brought together, not because of allergies directly, but rather because of the loss of our children. We are not highly trained medical professionals, like Dr. Markman. We were just parents who loved our families, and one day tragedy struck! Now we are working to use our children’s memories to save other people’s lives, and to keep other families from going through what we have.
After the training session with the whole group, the students split up into smaller groups and then cycled through four stations plus the expo area itself. These sessions included training on seizure first aid, airway management, toxicology, and stopping bleeding. A nice lunch was also included so no one had to leave. While the kids were in their sessions, we were able to talk to a lot of people! We shared Hannah’s Story more personally with EMS personnel, EMS instructors, and vendors. It was an amazing group of people! They were all there because they want to save lives, and they each really connected personally and deeply with Hannah’s Story. We made several good connections, and we are looking forward to being able to share her story with several different groups of fire/EMS professionals around the state in the future!
In sharing Hannah’s Story, we always like to tell people about her final prayer request, given just a few hours before she took that fatal bite and lost consciousness. Her request was for God to use her life in a unique and meaningful way! None of us would have ever dreamed that her wish would have been answered in this way, but with each passing opportunity, we can see that request being answered. As Jim Schneider says, “We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future.”
Thank you to everyone at WEMSA for allowing us to participate and thank you to everyone who supports us as we learn, develop, and grow this ministry of Hannah Helps. We don’t know where it’s going, we are still just hanging on for the ride!
We are blessed
P.S. If you would like to donate to Hannah Helps:
paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/5609126
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