Auctioned pediatric packs a meaningful way to give at Legacy Event

    “It’s one of those things that really tugs at everyone’s heartstrings — helping the people we care the most about,” said emergency medical services director Brady Ring.
    This year’s Melissa Memorial Hospital Foundation Legacy Event will feature two very special and lifesaving auction items — a Thomas EMS pediatric pack for each of MMH’s two ambulances.
    Unlike other auction items that benefit the bidder — a barbecue grill, a home spa kit — these packs provide a way for the bidder to keep on giving past the evening’s event, touching and saving children’s lives for years to come. The packs, worth $1,250 apiece including contents, are to be donated back to MMH’s growing EMS program for use after purchase.
    “This is a new concept this year,” said MMHF executive director Nancy Colglazier, noting that the timing of auctioning lifesaving EMS equipment seemed appropriate to the “Titanic” theme of the event. “It’s truly philanthropic, giving past yourself to our hospital and community.”
    One of the two desired packs has already been acquired and is currently on display in the lobby of MMH. It will also be displayed at the Legacy Event.
    Because of the value of each pack, the Foundation is open to arrangements such as an entire table going together to bid on a pack.
    “Some EMS programs try to build their own pediatric packs and end up putting a ton more money into it,” said Ring. In a life-threatening emergency involving a child, grabbing a Thomas EMS pediatric pack would replace taking in a basic life support bag, a smaller pediatric pack and an advanced life support bag, in addition to a cardiac monitor.
    If the ambulance carried one of the Thomas packs, the only additional item needed would be a cardiac monitor.
    Use of the pack begins with laying the child on a laminated fold-out measuring chart, color-coded to estimate the child’s weight based on height. The correlating section of the chart then lists the proper dosages for any medications that might be needed.
    Each size-based section then correlates to a specific care kit within the pack, containing size-appropriate EMS tools for IV and intraosseous (directly into the bone marrow) infusions, airway tubes, fluid suction and laryngoscopes. Kits are included for children from newborn up to 36 kilograms, or about 80 pounds.
    A main compartment in the bag houses non-weight-specific pediatric equipment. The inside lid is designed to hold pediatric cervical collars (neck braces) and larger equipment, and the front zippered pocket organizes face masks from neonatal to small adult sizes.
    The pack containing all of this, measuring just 14 by 20 by 9.5 inches, would be stored in a compartment accessible from both the inside and outside of the ambulance.
    With a full-time director, Colglazier said that bigger things are going to be happening within the EMS department, all to better serve the community. “The Foundation is really excited to be a part of it,” she said. “To me, this makes our event the most exciting one that we’ve had. It’s more about giving than receiving.”