In the Arms of a Stranger: Stories from the Streets: My Life as a Paramedic

by Dale Bingham

"In the Arms of a Stranger" is Dale J Bingham's touching and moving account of his career as a paramedic. From his early years as a medic in Southern California, to his work as a Tulsa, Oklahoma paramedic, he gives an inside look at the rewards, the trials, and the heartaches that emergency workers face everyday. In between, he writes of his own struggles with a difficult career and of tragically losing his own mother to the very part of life he worked so hard to conquer. "In the Arms of a Stranger" will tug at the heartstrings of the reader and leave the reader with a greater appreciation for those emergency workers who struggle everyday to help those in need.

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2001

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3 ½ stars.) Dale Bingham writes with such deep caring and heartfelt compassion for his patients that it is impossible not to be touched by this book. What let it down was the publisher’s neglect to do some basic editing and proofreading, which overshadowed the author’s professionalism and expertise with many typos and grammatical errors (at least in my copy). However, ignoring these and not letting them reflect badly on the author’s skill and knowledge of his subject, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this wonderful collection of stories from Bingham’s own experiences as a paramedic. Bingham tells it as it is – there is no pretence of glory or trying to be the hero, only his efforts to do the right thing by his patients – and appreciation of being allowed to be part of their lives for a little while. Unafraid to share his deepest feelings, Bingham writes with honesty and passion and had me captivated from start to finish. I hope that if I ever get sick and have to ride in the back of an ambulance (as a patient) I will have someone as caring as Dale Bingham to look after me.