From the Stretcher – A Survivor’s Perspective on Emergency Care

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be the one making the 911 call, instead of the one responding to it? Have you wanted to know what happens to your patients after you leave them at the hospital, or what impact your actions during the rescue have on them long term? In this session, participants will understand the patient experience like never before from the story of Lauren Willardson.

Lauren, a native of Salt Lake County, was sleeping peacefully in her apartment in Houston, Texas, when a man broke in and stabbed her 9 times in her sleep. Lauren remembers everything from struggling with her attacker for freedom to calling 911, the details of her rescue, and eventually relearning all basic life functions because her injuries.

After facing her attacker in court, reuniting with her EMS team years after the incident, and even rewatching the body cam footage of her care following the attack, Lauren knows firsthand how the choices made by EMS professionals affect survivors for the rest of their lives. In this session, Lauren will humanize the EMS experience by sharing the thoughts and feelings inside trauma care, including how compassion and communication can make all the difference. She will also share, from personal experience, how to help patients feel safety, dignity, and peace in moments of life or death. Ultimately, participants will leave with a better understanding of how their normal workday can be their patient’s miracle, changing lives for generations to come.