UT Health East Texas hosts travelling EMS memorial

TYLER, Texas ( KETK ) – UT Health East Texas hosted the National EMS Moving Memorial, that travels around the country recognizing fallen EMS officers, on Friday.

“Throughout our whole trip we’ll go through 18 different states. We have about 22 stops and we’ll have covered 4,800 miles. At the end of our trip we will be at the weekend of honor for the National EMS Memorial Service,” Megan Haverkamp, Moving Honors crew chief, said.

In 2021, an East Texas paramedic, named David Eads, died in a traffic crash while transporting a patient in Hunt County. He was part of the National EMS Moving Memorial in years past.

“He was a paramedic that you would want taking care of you and your family members, he interacted with patients as if they were your own family,” Vicky Eads, David’s wife, said.

The moving ambulance memorial also carries a tree of life, that represents strength. The tree won’t be unveiled until their last stop in Arlington, Virginia, but they leave a teddy bear with each family along the way.

“Each kiddo at the memorial service that lost a loved will get a bear in hopes it brings comfort,” Haverkamp said.

Danielle Groves, Operational Supervisor at UT Health Eats Texas, worked closely with Eads and said memorials like this are important to remember the ongoing sacrifices of EMS workers.

“I do believe EMS does get lost in the system,” Groves said. “You do hear a lot of fire, police, nurses and then you have the paramedics in the background and we are first in.”

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