News

Pa. 10-Year-Old Becomes Honorary Paramedic for a Day

Melissa Klaric

05/02/2016

May 01--SHARON -- As an honorary paramedic for a day, 10-year-old Eric Hudson was excited to hobnob with Mercer County's emergency personnel one day last week.

"I want to tell them thanks for helping with my dad," Eric said prior to riding around the county in an ambulance all day.

Before a big sendoff from his fellow fourth-graders at Case Avenue Elementary in Sharon, Eric proudly put on a new paramedic shirt and chatted with Elite EMS workers.

Eric called Mercer County 911 on the morning of Oct. 28 when he found his father, James, unresponsive at home. James, who was 59, died after an extended illness.

"He was the most composed child I've ever seen," said Courtney Ivan, co-owner of Elite EMS. "He even called his principal to let her know he couldn't come to school."

Ivan had been waiting for that special kid for a while to make him or her paramedic for a day when a letter arrived.

"Eric recently sent us the most adorable thank-you letter, but he is the one who deserves the thanks," Ivan said.

After hanging up with 911 that morning, Eric called the school, and his teacher Heather Scullin and Principal Traci Valentino rushed right over to be with him. Eric also sent them each a letter of thanks for their support.

"He's a very adult-like kid," Valentino said. "He's had to grow up fast because his dad became ill. But he's still just a kid."

After going through his sendoff tunnel and slapping hands with his classmates, Eric was whisked off to the Sharon City Building where he toured the police and fire departments. He got to sit in the driver's seat of a police cruiser.

Next stop was Hermitage Fire and Rescue Station 1, where Eric was welcomed by the Mercer County Critical Incident Response Team.

Eric met the team and sat in the control seat of its armored vehicle, while county Sheriff Gary Hartman explained what CIRT does and the areas it covers. Eric even got to meet the team's K-9s, Boomer, the bomb-sniffing dog, and 6-month-old Justice, the bloodhound.

Next Hermitage Fire Chief John Flynn took Eric around the station, made him gear up and took him for a ride in a fire truck around the grounds. Eric got to hit all the sirens.

After lunch with Elite personnel and a visit to their Hermitage station, Eric made an appearance at the Mercer County 911 call center in Mercer where Deputy Director Russ Saylor fielded a barrage of questions from him.

Eric wrapped up his day where he started -- at Case Avenue Elementary, the school he is proud to say that his dad, an electrician, helped to build. Eric said he wants to become a businessman and own a tall skyscraper in New York.