Paramedic's graduation a 'full-circle moment'

A student paramedic has said her graduation will be a "full-circle moment" after she was inspired by the paramedics who saved her dad's life - twice.

Hannah Standing, 23, will be among the very first cohort of student paramedics to graduate from Keele University in Staffordshire later.

She chose her career after her dad Conway's life was saved twice – when he had Covid-19 in 2022 and after he collapsed in a store in Derby a year later.

Standing, from Elvaston, Derbyshire, told BBC Radio Stoke she was "so excited" and had been looking forward to her graduation for years.

Asked what it meant to her, she said: "It's like a massive, full-circle moment. My dad was the reason I trained to be a paramedic, they saved his life twice."

She said the ceremony would be the "final piece of the story" after her four years of studying paramedic science with an integrated masters.

"For my dad to watch me walk across the stage, it will just be a lovely moment," she added. "I know he's so proud, so is my mum. I think I'll be quite emotional."

Standing has already been working as a paramedic in the East Midlands for the last two months.

She said her passion for healthcare first started when she did work experience at a care home owned by her father.

But she did not want to be a carer and wanted a "bit of variety" in her day, describing being a paramedic as "perfect".

"It's amazing thinking I'll be making that difference for other people and I'll be that paramedic that changes another family's life," she said.

"It was life-changing [for me]. If it wasn't for the paramedics, I don't think my dad would be here today."

During her time at the university, Standing co-founded and served as the secretary of the Keele Paramedic Society.

Among its activities was a 24-hour CPR marathon challenge, which raised £3,770 for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

Asked if she would recommend it as a career, Standing said: "Absolutely, I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else."

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