Young Fundraiser and Ambulance Fan Becomes Paramedic for A Day
13 May 2021
Written by: Tim Marks
A 12-year-old boy who raised thousands of pounds for the ambulance service has got to learn more about his dream job of paramedic at a specialist training day in Lincoln.
A 12-year-old boy who raised thousands of pounds for the ambulance service has got to learn more about his dream job of paramedic at a specialist training day in Lincoln.
Lucas Artiss, from Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, recently took part in a 30k steps a day fundraising challenge for The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC). Today (Thursday 13 May) he joined staff and students at the University of Lincoln to take part in a paramedic science skills and scenario day.
Working in a team alongside second-year University students, Lucas had the chance to practise some of the core skills needed for paramedic practice, such as advanced airway management, using the latest emergency response equipment used by the ambulance service.
During the training day, the student teams were equipped with a full complement of emergency response equipment including the latest Lifepak defibrillators and extrication equipment, and have an opportunity to use the very latest mechanical CPR device, coincidentally also called LUCAS (Lund University Cardiac Assist System).
Lucas was first on the scene to treat patients in each scenario and was presented with a certificate from the University to celebrate his achievements.
Lucas said: “It’s been wonderful to get to have the kind of experiences that a paramedic does every day. My favourite part was the scenario with a patient in cardiac arrest and getting to use the equipment to treat him and help save his life.”
Senior Lecturer in Paramedic Science, Jonathan Chippendale, said: “When we heard about Lucas’ dedication to raising money for the ambulance service, and that he wants to be a paramedic when he’s older, we knew we had to invite him to come and get some practice here at the University of Lincoln.
“We were delighted to welcome him and help him find out more about the job and our BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science degree course. He was a brilliant addition to our team and will no doubt make an excellent paramedic in the future. We hope he’ll consider joining us here at Lincoln in a few years’ time to continue his training!”