Hospital receives stethoscope donation after fire

CHICO, Calif. (KTVU) - Fire swallowed roads and darkness took over the day. Those first few hours of the Camp Fire are forever etched in the minds of survivors.

“It still doesn’t feel real. It really feels like a dream I feel like I’m going to wake up,” said Nurse Nicole Awe who worked at Paradise’s Feather River Hospital.

She was there when the Camp Fire burned through the town and was evacuated from the hospital.

However, her job of taking care of patients didn’t stop because she was forced to leave, “I pulled my car around, shoved three people in and I drove out,” said Awe.

Part of the hospital burned in the fire, taking medical equipment with it including one of the most basic, but essential pieces, stethoscopes. That’s when Awe’s coworker, Nurse Sandy Blythe, stepped in.

“In order to go back to work they need their equipment and so stethoscopes are something I thought if I got in touch with the right people I felt like could come through and help us out,” said Blythe.

She posted her plea on a Facebook page dedicated to nurses. Within hours, Bay Area company Eko offered to help.

“Get this in their hands because it’s the nurses that will go back and provide care to all the members of the community that need that help,” said Jason Bellet, Eko co founder.

Bellet went to Chico and hand delivered 200 stethoscopes to Blythe, Awe and other Feather River employees Tuesday morning.

“As soon as I put it on social media it was answered within hours people are amazing people are so amazing,” said Blythe. 

Blythe said they’ll also distribute the stethoscopes to nursing students that were at the hospital the day of the fire and employees of nearby Enloe Hospital who lost their homes.

Eko isn’t the only company to help. Blythe said American Diagnostics is also providing staff with equipment to help them recover.