An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Emergency Medical Services personnel befriend Hanscom child

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Lisa Spilinek
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
This week has marked Emergency Medical Services Week — a time to “honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine’s front line,” according to The American College of Emergency Physicians Web site, www.acep.org/emsweek.

For one Hanscom child, a single week set aside is not required to realize the dedication of Hanscom’s own EMS personnel.

Jacob Larwood, 8, suffers frequent epileptic seizures that often require him to be transported to a hospital via ambulance. When time is of such critical importance, Jacob’s parents, Tech. Sgt. Robby and Tracy Larwood, know when they dial 9-1-1 from their base residence, they can count on the Hanscom Fire Department to come to Jacob’s rescue.

Sergeant Larwood, 554th Electronic Systems Wing noncommissioned officer in charge of client support, who has been called home from deployments twice because of Jacob’s medical problems, had only praise for the base personnel who interact with his son.

“The Hanscom community has been absolutely wonderful — really supportive,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to count on your extended family.”

Jacob’s first interaction with the Hanscom Fire Department was in 2003 when he suffered a severe seizure that left him hospitalized for 31 days, 12 of which he spent in an induced coma because he kept seizing.

Jacob began having myoclonic seizures between the ages of 2 and 3. Myoclonic seizures, which are usually not severe, are rapid and brief. They often consist of a sudden jerk or head dropping motion.

At the age of 4, Jacob began having more-severe tonic-clonic, or grand mal, seizures. These seizures involve an initial stiffening of the body followed by rhythmic muscle contractions. This type of seizure is referred to as an epileptic fit.

Jacob’s seizures can be triggered by a number of reasons including tiredness, illness and eating foods that are not a part of the diet he follows, his mother said.

Jacob follows the ketogenic diet, which is very high in fat and low in carbohydrates. All food portions are strictly monitored by weighing them on a gram scale. The diet makes Jacob burn the fats instead of carbohydrates for energy, resulting in fewer seizures, his mother said.

When the Fire Department receives calls about Jacob, they have their procedures perfected. Their first priority is stabilizing his condition before he is transported by ambulance to the hospital.

The most recent call came April 23. Jacob had caught a virus causing him to have a prolonged nosebleed and to run a temperature of 104 degrees.

“It was like a scene from a movie,” Mrs. Larwood said about the firefighters’ quick and kind response to her son’s need. “They were patting him on the head and telling him, ‘you’ll be OK buddy.’”

Jacob was taken to Children’s Hospital Boston. During the nerve-wracking stay, doctors had to call a “Code Blue,” when he stopped breathing during an especially severe seizure.

A “Code Blue” is a medical alert signifying a person will die if immediate actions are not taken.

Jacob returned home May 10. He was already back attending classes with the rest of the second-graders at the Hanscom Primary School May 12.

It is this kind of tenacity and vigor that has endeared Jacob to the firefighters.

“It’s astounding how resilient he is,” Captain Camilli said. “He’s stronger than we are.”

Jacob’s relationship with the firefighters extends beyond the emergency calls. He has become friends with them. In 2004, he was the Grand Marshal of the Fire Prevention Week Parade. In October 2005, he was named an Honorary Firefighter and was presented his own small-sized uniform and a plaque. Many days, Jacob visits his personal heroes by stopping by the station during breakfast or dropping by just to say “hello.”

“He has become our family and we have become his,” Captain Camilli said.

Jacob may be young, but he realizes that the firefighters are his true friends.

“They are nice to me and play games with me,” he said about learning to play table soccer and cards with the firefighters.

In fact, last Halloween some of Jacob’s “uncles” picked him up in a fire truck to make a quick visit to see his father who was working at his second job at the base shoppette.

Mrs. Larwood, who is preparing to take the state EMS certification exam and is enrolled in the Middlesex Community College nursing program, realizes how special Hanscom’s EMS personnel are because of both their immediate response to the emergency calls and their kind treatment of Jacob.

“He’s got 55 uncles down there [at the Fire Station] who would do so much for him,” she said.