A hard day's night
2006-11-23
FOR Paarl ambulanceman Neil Cupido (31), a day can be very long.
The night even longer, but the hours he works and the pain he sees do not wipe the compassionate smile from his face.
As a boy, Neil was fascinated by men in uniform. Six years ago he joined the ambulance service, because he saw it as “a calling from God - to help alleviate pain and suffering”.
At first the siren and flashing red lights made him feel like “king of the road”, but now the siren is the tool which gets him and his rescue vehicle to the person in need in the fastest possible manner.
An ambulanceman’s work week consists of shifts of two days and three nights, followed by two free days.
Neil spends his free time with his family, wife Dominique and daughters Linique (12) and Nadea (4). He relaxes with his guitar, scrolls through Encarta on his computer and exercises with weights.
He enjoys watching movies, “not creepies, but romantic dramas and comedies,” he says.
Teamwork is important to Neil, not only when on the scene of an accident, but also to de-stress after having come face to face with tragedy.
He admits to “crying my heart out” back at the station after a particularly tragic incident.
“I find it difficult when children are involved. I cannot help thinking of my own daughters.”
But those very same daughters carry him through the trauma. The happy “Hello Daddy” and the arms thrown around his neck when he walks into his home, take all the pain away.
For Neil Cupido his calling has become his passion. That passion now brings tremendous satisfaction and, at the end of the very long day, a sense of having been able to make a difference.
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