ED Technician Christian Eyrich with his family
It is unfortunately common at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) to hear the wail of a siren indicating a police drop-off, when officers bring victims of gun violence to the Emergency Department directly, rather than waiting for an ambulance. However, Christian Eyrich, an Emergency Department technician, was surprised one night in June to find a two-year-old boy in the back of the vehicle.
“At first, I didn’t realize the child was also injured, and was focused on removing him from the chaos so we could treat the adults that came with him,” Eyrich recalled. “But when I realized he was injured as well, I picked him up and rushed him into the trauma bays.”
Eyrich, a father of four himself, knew how frightening the trauma bay could be to a child, and set out to reassure and distract him from the chaos until his mother arrived.
“I didn’t want him to be scared of all the people and noises around him. I pulled my mask down momentarily so he could see my full face, and a nurse lent us her phone so I could pull up Disney+ and distract the little boy,” he said.
Eyrich typically does at least one shift a week in the Trauma Division, and is not unfamiliar with treating victims of gun violence, but this incident struck particularly close to home for him. “I have four kids at home, two of whom are around the same age as this boy,” he shared. “If I were in this family’s situation, I would want someone to take care of my kids like this.”
“It is often the mentality of the emergency room provider to constantly be thinking about the next patient, especially when we are busy,” said a nurse who worked alongside Eyrich that night. “But Christian is different. He truly, genuinely cares, and he wants to make everyone’s day better. And on this day, he knew the best way to help everyone in the department was to go the extra mile to make sure this little boy felt as safe as possible on the worst day of his life.”
Eyrich celebrated five years at PPMC this August, and plans to continue offering his compassionate care in new ways in the future: He is currently studying to become a nurse.
At Penn Medicine, we all aspire to be Difference Makers who represent the Penn Medicine Experience (PMX) in action. PMX sets a consistent standard across all of our entities and work locations to make every touchpoint an opportunity to build enduring connections with patients, families, visitors and colleagues, which is a foundational part of the UPHS Success Share program.
Do you have a Difference Maker on your team? If so, let us know! Email Daphne.Sashin@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.