| Year Honored | |
|---|---|
| 2001 | |
| Honoree | |
| Renee' W Chapman | |
| Agency | |
| Georgia Baptist LifeFlight | |
| Agency City | |
| Sylvester | |
| Agency State | |
| GA | |
| Last Call | |
| 7/24/00 | |
| Cause of Death | |
| Medical Aviation Accident | |
| Biography | |
| Wreaths dotted the landscape all along the perimeter of the hospital where the helicopter took off and landed. A sweet reminder of the lost crew felt by family, co-workers, and the community. But do not let the flowers or the poems or the music take away from the importance of what they did. Each time that ambulance took off the adrenalin started pumping; each looking, making doubly sure equipment was close at hand. The conversation was about how to help the person coming on board, the procedures they might need to perform, the swiftness of saving a life.<br /> <br /> A Life Flight medical emergency helicopter lay torn to pieces across a wooded area on the Sylvester/Worth County line in Georgia. The crashed medical emergency aircraft was returning from a patient transport between Coffee County Hospital in Douglas and St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brunswick. Three young lives were lost in the crash, one was a flight nurse, Renee' Chapman.<br /> <br /> Renee' graduated from Darton College in 1993 where she had received an Associates of Science degree in Nursing. She began working at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital as a registered nurse in the Emergency Center. She left Phoebe in a full-time capacity to begin her career as a flight nurse with Georgia Baptist Life Flight in March 2000. She was involved in continuing education activities as evidenced by instructor certifications in ACLS, PALS, TRICC, and ENPC. She also served as a paramedic preceptor for Darton College. She displayed her commitment to emergency nursing by maintaining credentials as a certified emergency nurse. She was an ENCARE volunteer and ENA member. "Chapman was a beautiful, wonderful person who always looked her best; she stated it doesn't matter what you are doing you can always look good doing it," stated Betsy Beamon, registered nurse and friend. "She had an encouraging word for everyone she met. She was a skilled nurse who liked to teach others and was always trying to learn more. Renee' thought she had the coolest job in the world. However, when she was not working she was a devoted wife, who was never too busy to work an extra shift, run an errand or baby-sit for a friend."<br /> <br /> Renee' Welch Chapman, 29, is survived by husband Jim Chapman, her parents Mr. and Mrs. William B. Welch, and three sisters, Lois Braswell, Debra Parker, and Lora Sue Barfield.<br /> <br /> Honored 2001 |
The United States Official National EMS Memorial Service
