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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2015)
JULY 3, 2015, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A7 Keizer mom pulls double duty as ICU nurse, volunteer fi refi ghter By Jenenne Aguilar Special to Keizertimes Keizer native Amber But- ler, 38, has dedicated her life to helping others. It’s in her blood—her father and grandfather were both fi re- fi ghters. “It was a natural thing for me to grow into with my family history,” said Butler. Amber became a volun- teer fi refi ghter with Keizer Fire District in 1995, one year after she graduated from high school. That same year she met her now husband, Capt. Brian Butler, a career fi refi ghter also with Keizer Fire. “I had to make a decision for my career,” said Amber. “I chose to become a nurse because it would be easier to have a nurse-paramedic rela- tionship. Plus, I wanted to be a mom too.” Butler worked full-time for more than seven years at Salem Hospital, starting in the pharmacy and then transferring to the ER for six years. Amber then started nurs- ing classes and graduated in 2003 from the Chemeketa Community College nursing program. She became a nurse in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. “I most often interact with families because the patients are usually sedated or can’t interact due to their medical condition,” said But- ler. “My goal is to bring the family’s anxiety down to a manageable level, help them understand what’s going on, and provide excellent care.” Amber has also worked with the hospital’s Rapid Re- sponse Team for the past nine years, responding to patient emergencies, such as chest pain or breathing problems. Balancing a nursing career with family life poses a week- ly challenge, with a daughter and son, ages 8 and 6. She works two, 12-hour shifts each week as a nurse— with her husband away at the fi re station another two to three days. That leaves two days for family time. “I still fi ll in with Keizer Fire where it works for my family’s schedule. It’s always cram-packed,” said Butler. Amber Butler in her turnout gear as a volunteer with Keizer Fire District. Submitted “My family always comes fi rst. But I have a passion to volunteer and be there for the community.” She also has discovered another passion. “Ten years ago, I heard about a ridiculous fi refi ghter challenge where you climb 69 fl ights of stairs wearing 60 pounds of gear. At the time I thought you’re out of your mind,” said Butler. In 2011, Amber partici- pated for her fi rst time in the Scott Firefi ghter Stairclimb at the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle—a fun- draiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A close friend of hers died from leukemia and a col- league was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, providing further inspiration. Amber made it to the top in 32 minutes and 19 sec- onds. “The challenge is unbe- lievable. You feel worn out and exhausted at the top. But it’s less than 35 minutes of feeling that way,” said Butler. “Those going through treat- ment feel that way daily.” This spring, she raised nearly $7,000 for the event—topping her 2014 effort by more than $2,000. Some 1,900 fi refi ghters from around the world participat- ed and altogether raised $2.2 million. The event’s motto: Climb. Conquer. Cure. “It’s beautiful to raise money for a great organi- zation. It goes straight to blood-cancer research and patient services,” said Butler. Amber revealed what mat- ters to her most—“I want to be a positive role model for my kids—plus provide a pos- itive experience for patients and their families at the hos- pital or those at a fi re scene,” said Butler. “My kids know mommy does these things because it makes me feel happy to help others—and hopefully they see value for why I do it.” Jenenne Aguilar is the trauma program nurse manager at Sa- lem Hospital, a part of Salem Health. 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