Community Honors NJ Paramedic Who Lost Battle Against Cancer
NEW JERSEY (WTXF) A community is honoring a local paramedic who lost her battle against cancer.
"Devastated. Really devastated. Even from the initial diagnosis the anxiety was just awful," said Bill Scott as he describes the heartache he felt when his daughter Rebecca learned she had breast cancer in May of last year.
"Shortly after we found that it had traveled to her liver," said Bill.
The following 18 months, Bill says Rebecca got treatment with medications and chemotherapy. She fought a tough fight. But at 28 years old she lost her battle. She died October 27th nearly a year and a half after she was diagnosed and less than a month before her wedding to her love, Matt.
"It was a very rapid and very aggressive form of breast cancer," said Bill who remembers his daughter for her caring spirit, love of family, love of the Philadelphia Eagles and her sense of humor. But what stands out most is the love and dedication she had for saving lives. Rebecca was a paramedic for Mansfield EMS and Virtua Health in Burlington County.
"It was probably somewhere about 12 days before she passed, she went in to try and cover a shift and made it through half the day. She wanted to work so bad. She was very dedicated and the job was very important to her," said her father.
Rebecca's death hit hard for others she came in contact with on emergency calls.
"We worked with her frequently in town our town. She came to a lot of our squad calls. She was an outstanding paramedic," said Patrolman Charles Haney with Burlington City Police. The department is honoring Rebecca through no-shave November. Officers and the Fraternal Order of Police donated money to participate and they're selling tee shirts ahead of a benefit this weekend. Money goes into a scholarship fund in Rebecca's name.
"To get people who are inspired to be paramedics and future EMT's through schooling with that money. We're going to do a big photo shoot to celebrate her life and all the good things that happened when she was working here in town," said Patrolman Haney.
For more information and how to donate please visit the following links:
City of Burlington Police Department