My Uncle Is A Paramedic.

My Uncle Is A Paramedic.

Here is another person that I would like to write about, and his name is Henry Thomas Hoyle Sr. He is one of the favorite people in my family that I’d like to hang out with. There are some things I do remember so well about him. He has the quality of the people-helper in many respects.

As young as I remembered Henry Thomas Hoyle also known as Uncle T. or Granddaddy to some of us in our family; he has been a paramedic for a long time as his career. He has started out as an ambulance driver. I do remember seeing some of those old ambulances that he used to drive. Most of them were like the large station wagons of those days until they have come up with the larger vehicles in order to add more advanced life-saving equipment.

Some people called them “Meat Wagons”. My husband is one of those types who still called even the newest and latest ambulances “Meat Wagons” I still don’t like the term, but that’s what they’ve called them.

Anyway; back to Uncle T.’s career as a paramedic, that was one of the longest career he has besides working with Granddaddy George on the swimming pools business. You know? Whenever I have watched the show called “Emergency!” on television; I think of Uncle T. who would work feverishly in order to save a patient’s life in an ambulance. I could just see my uncle in each episode of “Emergency!” as they worked to save a patient’s life while on the road, outside the burning house, or even just making sure a patient was okay.

Well, Uncle T. has saved a lot of patients’ lives over the years. Some patients have heart attacks; some have diabetic shock, while the others have many injuries. Some injuries were ranged from the cuts and bruises to the heavy bleeding from the gunshot wounds, or car accidents. Sometimes, he has encountered death while assessing the patients.

Of course, I thought of what would Uncle T. do whenever I try to help someone who were injured at one time or another. Uncle T. has taught me many things about administering the first-aid to the injured patient while waiting for the ambulance or the emergency crew to come up to take over the care of the patient.

I know that sometimes, Uncle T. would run into some people who would refuse proper treatments for their illness or injury. Some have lived and some have died as the result of the bad decisions on the patients’ part. I also know that Uncle T. would run into some patients who were “Drama-Queens” or “Drama-Kings” No pun intended.

Then, there was “Rescue 911” and there were more of the interesting life saving stories of the real life situations and people. I could see Uncle T. rushing to the doorstep with the bulging equipment bags. I can imagine how Uncle T. would quickly stabilize the patient’s vital system before preparing to transport the patient on the stretcher and roll him or her into the ambulance.

Some may wonder what has become of Uncle T. Well, after had retired from his career as a paramedic and then helping Granddaddy with the swimming pool installations and such. He also used to work at a convenience store in Deland, Florida. While he was working at the convenience store one night; several men has broke into the store and robbed the store. He was attacked in the process as he was defending the store. He has had a bad concussion as the result. So that was where he had a clot formed by the injury, and that was when he had to stay on the blood-thinner for the rest of his life. The doctors had to keep an eye on that clot or otherwise it would break off and cause a heart attack.

So about a few months before May 13 or 14, 1992; the blood-clot has broken off because he has hit his head on something else while he was working on a small construction project. He did not suspect that it has broken off until he had passed out a few times so he was taken to the hospital for treatment of his diabetic instability. He also died from the second diabetic coma, but something else has killed him.

It was one night while I was at my Grandmother’s house when the hospital called on the Wednesday or Thursday night. The news has devastated a lot of the family members. What has killed Uncle T. was that the blood-clot has broken off and has travelled to his heart before it got lodged in the heart’s blood-vessel causing the heart to swell and burst. And, he was about to be ready to come out of the intensive care unit to the regular room at the Halifax Hospital in Daytona, Florida.

I have many fond memories of Uncle T. as I was growing up. I got to ride the ambulance as a passenger while he was transporting an elderly patient to the nursing home from the hospital. He helped me set up my first-aid kit for me to use in case of the emergency. He has given me some of his old patches to be sewn on my white shirt to be used on the “Career Day” while was at school. I have thought that was really awesome being able to wear my “paramedic” shirt so I can be a paramedic just like in the TV show, “Emergency!”.

He has a wonderful personality of the jolly man, but he is also a quiet man. Sometimes, he gets sarcastic in a quiet way. He likes to kid around and joke around. I know I’ve gotten picked on for sleeping in late past 12:00 PM or past noon! But, he also has the serious side. When he gets mad, which I’ve seldom saw his anger, he’ll be more quiet and one can tell with his eyes that were blazing. So over-all, you don’t see him so angry that often. I have rarely seen him in an angry mood. He was such sweet and quiet man.

So whenever I watched any news, TV shows depicting a paramedic or an ambulance, or just sees an ambulance rushing by; I think of Uncle T. being the driver and making sure that someone’s life is saved. I can imagine Uncle T. going to various emergencies and just fit right in with the other paramedics as they worked feverishly to save a patient’s life wherever there’s a motor-vehicle accident or another gunshot victim.

Just lately; I thought of Uncle T. and I have thought of what he would have done if he were sitting at the computer connect to the internet, and chatting in the Christian-chat Network, and if he had seen the distress in the chatter’s typing. He would have done the same thing that he has always done. It is to save a person’s life whether that person wants help or not. Uncle T. would have said that same thing that I have told the other person in the chat room; “Get help!” Uncle T. is the type that he would NOT take “No.” for an answer when it comes to the life-and-death situation. This incident has happened a few months ago in a chat room.

So Uncle T. has a few careers besides being a paramedic and an ambulance driver. He has helped Granddaddy George with the swimming pool business. He has worked in several convenience stores. He has had a full life despite that he had diabetes for many years. He has been married his wife, Mary Farlene Hoyle whom he calls “My Bride”. I remembered that saying so fondly… He would say, “That’s my Bride.” He loves his wife so dearly. They have several children together, and they have raised the four children, Jimmy, Cynthia, Henry Thomas Jr, (Little T.) and Joseph (Little Joe). Both Uncle T. and Aunt Farlene were loving couple for many years despite the many circumstances. This is one of the long-lasting marriages that I have seen over the years in my family.

Both Granddaddy and Uncle T. were the same age, which is quite unusual. They both would have been 76 years old by now if they are still alive.

So that is another person that I would like to write about. He has been an integral part of my life as I was growing up, and remember the fun things and the lessons learned from each other as the Uncle and the Niece.

May God bless you and you all take care of yourselves.