Group of EMS Professionals Hope to Save Lives Off the Clock

For paramedic Nicole Dietsche and a group of five fellow EMS professionals on Long Island, saving lives on the job wasn’t quite enough. An incessant desire to give back led the six friends to form 8 Bit Medics, an organization that holds fundraisers for various charities.

“What you don’t expect when getting into EMS is the way that the lives of those you help will affect yours,” Dietsche said. “Personally and professionally, we’ve all had patients and families that have inspired us to want to do more, and that’s what we hope to achieve with 8 Bit Medics.”

The organization comprises paramedics Dietsche, Jeremy Jubinville, Jon Boutet, Chris Martino and EMTs Johnson Sam and Eric Laukaitis. The organization will host its inaugural event, a 72-hour Zelda marathon, from Aug. 8-10 on its website. All proceeds will go to the charity This Star Won’t Go Out.

“We chose This Star Won’t Go Out because of their personal nature and the fact that they recognize, through their own personal experience, that diseases like cancer affect more than just the patient,” Dietsche said. “Families, caretakers, healthcare professionals and many more people feel the far-reaching impact of cancer, and we hope through our efforts we will be able to ease that burden.”

The name 8 Bit Medics is inspired by the older video games favored by the group, which utilize 8-bit graphics. The concept was dreamed up by Boutet, who has participated in different gaming marathons in the past. The marathon will be broadcast live via Twitch TV on the group’s website, and its members will be available for a live chat on Twitter.

“You can ask any EMT or paramedic why they got into EMS and they usually have a personal story that directed their lives towards helping others,” Dietsche said. “Be it their own illness, an illness of a loved one, or just the desire to help, everyone has their reason.”

Donate to the cause here.