In 2008, at an airshow in Culpepper, Virginia, an event changed people’s lives in a split second. On average, there are about two hundred and fifty airshows a year. The variety of aircrafts and their stunts changes with every show and although most airshows are “tragedy” free, some are not. Unfortunately, an airshow on October 18, 2008 was not “tragedy” free.
Growing up with a family immersed in the world of aviation, I frequently attend many of these shows that occur every year, so I have practically grown up going to them. The show began as any other: the first couple of performers went, including my father, and I sat and watched as he did aerobatic tricks in the sky. When he landed, he joined me at the fence and we watched our family friend, Nancy, take off. She was doing a phenomenal job with her choice of aerobatics and the crowd was in awe, and I could not wait to congratulate her on her performance. However, the mood in the air changed dramatically when she flew over the runway for a “fly-by photo,” and her wingtip struck the runway. Her plane immediately hit the ground and blew up into flames. Stuck on the other side of the fence, I watched as several bystanders including my father, rushed to help our friend escape the brutal flames of her crashed plane. When my dad left to go help, our friend Gavin stayed with me. The whole accident happened so quickly, that it was like slow motion going through my head. Seeing my dad running to the plane, the flames erupting, the ambulance sirens turning on, it was all processing so slow compared to how fast everything was actually moving; like watching glass break in a slow motion video.
Once the medical teams showed up to the scene, they worked in sync with one another to do their very best to bring her to safety. Already having a fascination with how EMT’s work, I watched amazed at what they were doing in order to get her out. It was at that moment when they put her in the ambulance, shut its doors and turned on their sirens, that I knew I was going to choose to be part of a medical team in the future because there I was, stuck on the other side of the door, wanting to know what was happening on the other side and unable to help in any way. The unexpectedness of every situation is truly something that I want to encounter and challenge myself within my future. Unfortunately, the result of this event was not what we wanted, and Nancy passed away that evening. This incident changed the course of my life, in both a positive and negative way because my eyes were opened to what my future could hold, but I also lost a dear friend. I always have known about my burning desire to help others, but I never thought about executing it in my future. After this accident, I had no second thoughts that the medical field was where I would end up in the years to come.
This event is part of why I am here today, attending University of Delaware’s School of Nursing. Although it was a tragic event and changed many people’s lives, it ignited a spark within me that directed me toward the medical field. I went from volunteering in hospitals, to visiting and talking to nurses and doctors, to then applying to Nursing School itself. I want to take up this challenge so that when someone is hurt, i’m not stuck on the other side of the door or fence. I’m right there, helping, hands on.
E110 FA19 Class Blog 