TV Medical Dramas vs. Real Life Medical Crises

I think we all grew up on television medical dramas of one era or another. When I was really young, the tales of Dr. Kildare and Dr. Ben Casey were huge hits. Over the years, we moved onto ER, Mercy, and Grey's Anatomy. Then there were the ambulance-related shows like Emergency! (remember that one? I had a Randolph Mantooth crush for a bit there) and the paramedic side of Third Watch.

However, no amount of drama or crises we've seen on those shows can compete with some of the real life issues going on today. With the lack of funding, hospitals are shutting down. It happened here in Plainfield, New Jersey, when the only hospital in the city -- Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center shut down to become solely a satellite emergency room. It just happened in lower Manhattan with the announcement that St. Vincent's will go the same route as Muhlenberg.

But it's not only the hospitals in a crisis -- local emergency squads are going under as well. Can you imagine waiting a half-hour for an ambulance in a life-threatening situation? Or, worse yet, not having an ambulance available in a city of 50,000 residents?

I'm stepping a bit away from my usual television or photo-rambling to pass the word that the Plainfield Rescue Squad is having a fund drive ... and these funds are desperately needed to continue their valuable operations. Not to worry, I won't be posting about every cause on earth for y'all. Someone reached out to me on this one and it's something that I feel strongly about. I live here. I'm not elderly, but I'm no spring chicken either. My mother died very young of a heart attack. While I hope my biggest health issues continue to be knee surgery related or "I have a cat on me and I can't get up," I have to be realistic. One day my own life might depend on the local ambulance. As it stands, the lives of others are depending on them daily.

This blog has a mix of local readers and those from across the country. No matter who you are or where you live, if you wish to help the fund drive, here's how:

1. Donations can be mailed to the Plainfield Rescue Squad, 700 West 7th Street, PO Box 707, Plainfield, NJ 07060.
2. You can also drop off donations at The Pillars Bed and Breakfast, 922 Central Ave; Graphix One, 321 Park Ave; and Dairy Queen, 1367 South Ave.
3. Online donations can also be made through Paypal at www.paypal.com , the id is plainfieldrescuesquad@yahoo.com. Go to "Send Money," enter the amount, click "Personal" then "gift" and send.
Donations may be tax deductible. Consult your tax advisor for details.