As told by EMT Kaylen Mahuka-Ka’awa
I am a proud mixed Hawaiian woman born and raised in Nānākuli, Hawaii. I am a mother of four children and three grandchildren. Prior to getting into emergency medical technician (EMT) class, I was working at Queen’s Health Care Centers Kapolei as a medical assistant/receptionist. We got a new operations manager for our clinic, so he sat down with each of us to ask what our goals were.
I expressed to him that I was currently taking classes part-time for nursing while working and I was currently pregnant with my third child. He asked if I ever thought about becoming an EMT. I said I did years ago when I was finishing high school. When I looked into it, I already had all of the prerequisites needed so I applied. I didn’t get in initially so I asked the instructor what could I do to better my chances on the next try? He was impressed with me calling and informed me someone had dropped out of class, and he had a spot for me. I finished EMT class in May 2017, got into the City and County of Honolulu EMS in September of 2018.
I feel like I have found my calling and I absolutely love what I do. In the beginning, it was really rough not knowing what to expect and how others would be, so I was very anxious. After expressing that to my EMT classmates, they told me it gets better after a year – and they were right. My biggest challenge with being a first responder is juggling work which is very demanding, physically, mentally and emotionally with being a full-time mother. I have four children, and three of them are active in sports so when I get off from work I don’t have a lot of time to get rest because I have my duties to take care of as a mother.
I have a big support system with my husband being my biggest supporter and confidant. My parents and my in-laws also help with watching my children if we’re both not available. My other challenge is missing out on events for my children, so I explain to them carefully on the sacrifice that I chose with my career and trying my best to be there when I can. I lost my father in 2021 to prostate cancer and I was a caretaker for him while I was still working full-time.
My father was my go- to for comfort when I had rough days, when I needed a shoulder to cry on and just someone there to listen to my crazy stories of how my day went. Losing him has been the biggest impact on me, and after two years of his presence gone, I continue to do what I have been doing in hopes that I am continuing to make him proud. He was very proud of me being an EMT, and so were my grandparents, who also passed recently.
My drive is my children, to show them what hard work is and to always persevere and strive for the highest in everything that they do. Even when times are tough and days are long, it just takes one patient who has compassion and shows us appreciation that makes our careers all that more worth it. Patient care in this line of work is tough, but worth it when we can comfort those in need and make their day a little easier on what could be the worst day of their lives.
My message to those who are interested in getting into this career is to always work hard, never stand around or stay stagnant. There is always something to learn on a day-to-day basis whether you have one week on the road or 25 years on the road. Also know what your limits are, never hold in what you’re experiencing, find someone to share with what you are feeling. Also always remain humble and take pride in what you do for a living because our careers are so incredibly unique and worthy of utmost respect.
