Wheel Chair Basketball and Riding in an Ambulance

A couple new activities have made their way into my odd life here. Today was my first day of wheel chair basketball. Every Wednesday at 11, a Thembekile and I pile into the school van and roll up to the indoor basketball courts in the township. It was a blast and has opened up an opportunity to maybe get a better wheel chair for him.

Tuesday, my buddy Shane and I went down to the local ambulance service to sign up as ride along volunteers. This was sparked after a rough encounter with an unconcious white male freshman at Rhodes University. My fried John and I had come home from the computer labs at the University and found this still unknown student laying in a fetal position out in front of our house. After John checked his vitals and breathing, we determined he was breathing. A car rolled up and offered to help. We called for an ambulance. After waiting 10 minutes and hearing that sometimes it takes an hour and a half to get an ambulance, we with the help of some drunk passers by were able to get the kiddo into the back of the kind stranger's car. Shortly after getting him into the car he started vommiting all over the seats.

Apon arriving at the hospital there were not docotors dressed in scrubs helping the victim onto a stretcher. Nope, we loaded the student into a wheelchair still not verbally responding or giving eye contact. As we rolled in the nurses glanced at our vomit machine and said we had to fill out a blue card at the other office. We rolled our friend to the other window where there was no one and the janitor said he would be back now now (meaning it would take 10 minutes). After 10 minutes of waiting a short fella said to us as he entered his office, why didn't you have the nurses help. The nurses (who told us to go to get the blue card) were just sitting around. Still passed out, we rolled the kid to a bed and John and I put him in ourselves. By this time it had taken about an hour from start to finish. We left him in unsure hands with no wallet to his name or i.d. to recognize him. WOW. So now I want to get involved and see what is the deal.

I am excited to see another part of Grahamstown. It gets bad here at the end of the month on when pensions come in. People get absolutely trashed and do very stupid things. I have always wanted to know more about first aide. What better way than hands on. At least hands on with layers apon layers of rubber gloves.