KAREN:  Have you had to deal with sort of some scary emergency cases?
 
RITA:  Yeah, over the years, there have been some.  But I always think we were very fortunate.  We do have -- like, there was one person that had a -- you know, every trauma is different.  Some things you can cope with, like if someone is an elder and they have COPD and you know they are going to stop breathing.

KAREN:  What's COPD? 

RITA:  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
 
And you know, we are waiting for medevac and this patient isn't breathing, you have to breathe for them.  You just do it, you know, or use a big double mask. 

And then there's another one where someone just collapses and stops breathing.  And you get down and do CPR and get the oxygen and this person doesn't survive, it's very traumatic.  I think that was the worst one for me where the patient died. 

And other emergencies that usually come to Nome and then go to Anchorage and then they come back home.  And what is really good when they come back, they come and say thank you, you know, because we did our best. 

KAREN:  Uh-hum. 

RITA:  But for those ones that died, it's -- it's hard.  But getting together later and talking about it is -- it really helps. 

KAREN:  What about some success stories?  Something great that all came out happy in the end. 

RITA:  Yeah. 

KAREN:  We don't want to talk about just the band ones. 

RITA:  Yeah.  Let's see.  Yeah, there has been several.  Someone -- someone was going boating and his flywheel on the motor, he didn't have it covered, the flywheel flew off and hit his leg, and you know, just got torn.  And we had to package that and get him ready to come to Nome.
 
Anyway, when they go back, they say thank you.  It's -- I think when people are hurt and they see what we are doing that they know we are doing our best. 

And we take care of broken bones and stuff and just splint them, they always say, oh, you know, you just have to do what you have to do, and they always say that people learn, well, that was easy, you know, you could have -- you can make like if you're out in the country and you use break their legs, you use a piece of willow or a stick and make a splint, it's just all basic stuff.  You know. 

And people always -- almost revere you, you know.  You know how they do that. 

KAREN:  Yeah.

RITA:  Just basic.

KAREN:  Yeah, but some of it is, you say basic but also some of it is who you are as a person. 

RITA:  Uh-hum (affirmative).  And how you respond. 

KAREN:  And how you respond.

RITA:  Yeah.  Or how quickly you can fix something. 

KAREN:  If you have the right personality to be able to handle the situation. 

RITA:  Yeah. 

KAREN:  I don't know, what are those characteristics?  What does somebody need to be able to do health aide work? 

RITA:  There are a lot of health aides out there I know who it's almost like they are naturally born to be a health aide. 

There's a lot of young, smart health aides, too, they just -- it just seems like they already know, you know, they go to a training and they say, wow, that was a lot of fun, and we learned how to do this and that, and it was like I already know how to do that, you know. 

It's just -- I just feel like some of them are naturally born leaders, or maybe there's something that they learned from their parents how to fix something.  You know.  That you use things that are available.  And...

KAREN:  Do you feel like you were naturally born to be a health aide? 

RITA:  I think so.  Yeah.  When I graduated from high school, I wanted to go to nursing school but I didn't know how to find the money, the resources to go.  I really wanted to go to nursing school.  And when the opportunity came to be a health aide, you know, I -- I had to take it. 

And I think the main thing is just caring for people.  You have to care for people and be a good listener and just want to help people. 

KAREN:  Have you contemplated going to PA school? 

RITA:  I did back then.  Well, when they first mentioned PA school, my -- I think my youngest daughter was, like, 13 maybe.  And I thought about it, but I'm such a home body, I can't picture myself leaving White Mountain. 
But I know my daughter wants to go to PA school and I'm encouraging her to go.  You know.  I know there's always still a chance to go. 

KAREN:  So your daughter has become a health aide? 

RITA:  Uh-hum (affirmative).  My daughter is a health aide.  She's a certified health practitioner.  And she works with Willa's daughter.  Willa's daughter is also a health aide, Carol.  And they are doing very well.  They are the main ones over there at the clinic. 

And I know if she goes to PA school, she will do very well.  This younger generation, they are very smart.  And I -- I think she's just waiting just a couple -- maybe another year, she will be ready to go.

KAREN:  And how does that make you feel to have your daughter becoming a health aide? 

RITA:  When she first wanted to apply, I said, well, yeah, that would be good.  You know.  Because you're in the village and people sometimes think about families, you know. 

I didn't have any part in hiring her or getting her -- well, she did it on her own and the city council okayed for her to become a health aide.  And I just supported her.  I said, good for you, you know, do your best.  And she was a young girl then just out of high school. 

And you know, when new kids come along, they kind of want to make their own rules, and I said, you just have to remember to be patient with people and treat them with respect.  Elders and people who come to you, believe them when they say they are sick and treat them fairly. 

So I felt very good for her to come to work.  She's doing real good.