Kansas paramedics turn to music as medicine during pandemic
WINFIELD, Kan. (NewsNation) — A pair of paramedics is choosing to sing away their worries during the pandemic.
“Life is not the greatest right now. There is a lot going on in the world,” Lucas Spillman told NewsNation affiliate KSNW-TV.
Spillman and his coworker, Beckie Haynes, work for Eagle Med. in Winfield, Kansas. They spend most of their days treating and transporting patients.
“It’s different from day to day,” explained Haynes.
“We can take care of anything from a heart attack to a pregnancy to a trauma patient. You name it, one of us has probably seen it,” Spillman said.
The two quickly learned they had more than their career in common.
“When Luke and I started working together, we had the radio on and we just sang to everything that was on the radio. He had mentioned something about having a guitar and having recorded a few songs and so we just started having fun with it,” Haynes said.
That fun turned into a series of music videos showcasing the pair’s singing talents in the back of an ambulance.
“We started our first video during the initial days of COVID,” Haynes said. “It was just kind of a crappy time. We wanted to take a breather so we came out here, started strumming on the guitar, and decided to record it and throw it up on the Eagle Med page (Facebook) for some enjoyment for other people.”
The likes and comments started pouring in.
“If you can escape for a few minutes with us, watching the videos and sing along, that’s all it’s for just to have a good time,” Spillman said.
Spillman and Haynes said music has helped them get through tough days on the job. They hope their videos can create positivity during a difficult time.
“Music has that calming effect. It’s kind of a way to escape,” Spillman said.