A Quilt Made From Patches – Help a brother out.

An old ambulance partner of mine called me up the other day with a favor to ask.

He and I haven’t been on a truck together in a few years, but this guy’s one of the best I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. If Bill asks me a favor, it gets done. He’s good people.

It seems there’s bad news. Bill’s new partner, Noah Filer, an almost-done paramedic student and firefighter with the Durand Fire Department was involved in a terrible motorcycle accident a while back. Unfortunately the news isn’t good. While Noah’s fighting on, he sustained serious, possibly life-altering injuries and will have an exceptionally hard road to recovery in front of him. He’s a young guy, and from all accounts I’ve heard a stand-up guy and a good person with a lot of potential in front of him. I don’t know Noah personally, but a good many of my friends do and if Bill vouches for him, he’s a friend of mine as well.

Noah’s friends and family are making him a quilt made of fire patches and have been asking departments to send patches to his fire department for this purpose. Bill has asked me to help spread the word and ask you to send in your patch and patches from your area so they can be incorporated into the quilt. I’m happy to ask you to do so. Noah’s family loves the idea and his fire/EMS friends are stepping in to make this a reality. I’m asking you to do the same.

Here’s what I’d like you to do:

1. Get an extra patch from your Fire Department, Police Department, EMS agency, or any public-safety entity that you are a member of or can get your hands on. Send one of your patches and grab a few from your surrounding agencies. Anything will help.
2. Send the patches to the following address BEFORE MAY 12^th, 2012.

Durand Fire Department

P.O. Box 185

Durand, IL 61024

3. Help us spread the word. If you’re an EMS blogger, would you mind posting up a link to this post or making a post of your own asking your readers to do the same? Would you mind posting this link on your Facebook or Twitter accounts? Would you ask your other Fire/EMS friends to send in a patch or to give you one that you could send in?

I’d really appreciate it. You’re helping out a good cause for a good guy. Trust me, if Bill vouches for him, I do too. I’m sending in all the patches I can grab for the guy and you should to. Please. Both he and his family and friends will really appreciate it.

Thank you.

You can read more about Noah’s story on his CaringBridge web site. It would be nice for his family if you’d send some well-wishes in the form of writing a short note in his guestbook as well.

Bill wrote about his feelings in the guestbook. If you don’t believe that you should send in a patch… read this, you will:

“Dear Noah,

Well it has taken me a week to find the words to write you. You have been my partner on the ambulance since September 2008. Since that time we have spent a third of our lives together. Sometimes you are like a brother to me and other times you are like a son to me but you have always been family to me. Coming to work since your accident is challenging. All of us come in and do our jobs, but there is no laughter, no fun anymore. We all ask each other "how are you" and we all answer each other "I'm ok". But, we're not. This station is empty without you. I worked up the courage to peek inside your locker today to see if there was anything your folks or Jenny would want. I burst into tears and closed the door. I swear kid I've never cried so much in my life as I have in this last week. You have touched so many lives and I know for a fact that there is people walking the Earth today due to some of your actions. You are a hero. Maybe I didn't tell you that very much before, but you need to know that. I had a new fella come and work with me today. He is a great guy, and like you, one with a promising future. But, HE IS NOT YOU. Some days I can eat, some days I can't. Sometimes I can sleep, other times I can't. I just want you to wake up and say Hi, that would make things so much better. I have visited with your Jenny and your Folks several times this week, and I hope they know they can count on me if they need anything. We are all hurting and only you can make us feel better. So keep fighting my friend! I know you can beat this.

I will be waiting as long as it takes for you to get better.

 

Your friend,
Bill Scheider
Paramedic”

Come on y’all, help a brother out.