Jack McDuffie, Special to the Journal

When Bladen Community College student Donna Cagle of Bladenboro broke her ankle in May 2007, she was devastated. She had just completed the

first four months of the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate course and was slated to begin clinicals that week.

The ankle injury at this crucial time in her training would mean she would not be able to continue in the program with her class. More importantly, she would not be eligible to take the state EMT-Intermediate certification exam. This was a real blow because working as an emergency medical technician was her new career and her ultimate goal was to become a paramedic.

Had it not been for the help of BCC EMT instructor Donald Bryan and her perseverance, she would likely still not be an EMT-Intermediate.

When Cagle graduated from Bladenboro High School in 1991, she had no idea she would ever want to be an emergency medical technician or paramedic. The thought had not crossed her mind, she said, in a recent interview. However, she was interested in caring for people and entered the geriatric care program at Bladen Community College, where she earned a diploma later that same year.

For the next 15 years she worked in geriatric nursing at Hermitage House (now Glencare) in Bladenboro. It was while working at the nursing home that she became interested in the EMT program.

“A friend, whose mother was a resident of Hermitage House, was a member of the Bladenboro Rescue Squad. One day she invited me to come to a meeting of the Squad,” said Cagle. “They were recruiting new members and talked to us about the EMS program. It interested me, so I enrolled in the EMT-Basic course at BCC in 2000. Not only was I interested in working as a volunteer with the Rescue Squad, but I also thought the course would help me in my job at the rest home.

“After earning my certification, I was a member of the rescue squad and continued to work at the rest home. I later became interested in pursuing a career in EMS and decided to take a full-time job with Bladen County EMS in 2006. They encouraged me to take the EMT-Intermediate course at BCC, so I enrolled in January 2007.

“I had completed the classroom portion when the unfortunate accident happened. Ironically, I was on volunteer duty with the rescue squad when I fell and broke my ankle,” Cagle explained. “As a result, I was unable to return to work until October and could not do my clinicals.

“Mr. Bryan was able to get my training extended, and I was able to take my clinicals after I returned to work. However, after I finished my clinicals, I ran into another obstacle that prevented me from taking the certification exam. Again, Mr. Bryan helped.

“I had taken the reading placement test earlier but the score from that test was somehow lost along the way. Since I was required to have a specific score on the reading placement test to take the certification exam, I had to take the test again.

“My score was just below the cutoff and I had to take a developmental reading course. After completing the course I scored high enough (on the placement test) to take the state exam. I took the certification exam in early November and passed. I am now an EMT-Intermediate,” she added proudly.

Cagle credits Bryan for her success.

“I am indebted to Mr. Bryan for helping get me through the various obstacles I had to overcome to get my certification,” she said.  “He went out of his way to make sure that I had the opportunity.”

Bryan praises Cagle for her perseverance in overcoming the difficulties she encountered.

“Not everyone would have worked so hard for so long to get through this,” he said. “She was determined to succeed and she did.”

For information on the Bladen Community College EMT or paramedic programs, call Bryan at 879-5638.