How do First Responders celebrate Independence Day in Belize?  

Frontline workers make countless sacrifices, often working long, unpredictable hours and spending time away from their families—sometimes even missing out on national celebrations. Yet, despite these challenges, many find a profound sense of purpose in their roles. In this week’s look on the Bright Side, we take a closer look at patriotism through the eyes of these staff members. Here’s that story.

 

Sabreena Daly, Reporting

Inside the adult intensive care unit at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, the low hum is punctuated by the steady beeping of machines working to save lives. Nurses and aids at KHMH are ready for any urgent call. While the ward serves as a refuge for the critically ill, this month it’s adorned with vibrant shades of red, white, and blue, reflecting the spirit of the season. Darwin Slusher has dedicated his entire professional life to medicine and serving others. From his early days as an emergency medical technician, to his advancement as a nurse practitioner, Slusher’s commitment to his profession is deeply entwined with his love for his country.

 

Darwin Slusher, Registered Nurse, K.H.M.H.
“I’m currently still an active EMT and I am a registered nurse. And so service for me is pretty much all I know. I believe I’m a service-oriented person. I was also a volunteer firefighter at one point in my career. And It’s just love of country that motivates and drives me to want to give back to my community.”

 

 

 

Maurice Westby, a familiar face at the K.H.M.H., may not be a frontline worker, but he’s often the first person you’ll meet when arriving for services. September is known for national celebrations, Westby notes that it’s also one of the hospital’s busiest months.

 

 

 

Maurice Westby, Security, K.H.M.H.
“Once you’re on duty here for the September celebration at the K.HM.H., you don’t really get a chance to celebrate it, ma’am. You have to be committed fully to what you do, because you have the people coming in here looking for medical attention. So you will have family members who are concerned about their relatives and with all the alcohol and things involved, you have people coming here with their emotions very high.”

 

 

Slusher emphasizes that what unites many of these staff members in times like these, is their shared sense of civic duty and patriotism, expressed through their dedicated service to the nation.

 

Darwin Slusher
“What it looks like for us displaying our civic pride and patriotism is we get to be there when you are, for example, sick.  Fortunately for me, for Carnival, I was out.  But when it comes to the other festivities, I mean, I can’t speak for everybody, but I speak for myself.  It gives me great pride to know that I am on call here for our country’s men when unfortunate events happen.”

 

 

Sabreena Daly

“How does the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital celebrate the 21st of September? There’re a lot of festivities taking place outside of your building, but how do you guys celebrate that significant day for Belize?”

 

Darwin Slusher

“Well, it starts off, but as you can see in the background, we decorate our units. And that motivates us and gives us that, that positive energy. Hey, we’re in the party mood. And what KTMH does is, well, we play our national anthem on, um, Um, the hospital have special dinner for us, for the nurses and doctors, for all staff who are working and they give us little tokens, little goodie bags and we appreciate that and then we get to be out of our, our uniform, we get to wear, um, our red, white and blue colors and so that in itself We feel that we’re a part of the celebration of the up there.”

 

The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital opened its doors on September 15th, 1995. Since then, there has never been a day this hospital has not been open for service. With a growing staff of over seven hundred workers, Public Relations Manager Thylon Tillett says that it is their duty to remain accessible to the nation regardless of the season.

 

 

 

Thylon Tillett, PR Manager, K.H.M.H.

“September is special for us.​​ The 15th of September was our 29th anniversary of serving the public. We’ve been open since 1995. To give you context, the KHMH was opened to a country of 210,000 persons. Today, the census data shows that we are almost at 500,000 persons. This facility has grown in leaps and bounds and is trying to keep up with the required health care requirements of the public. So what does that mean? That means that you have 700 persons on a shift basis providing services to the nation. Ambulances are coming here, people with difficult pregnancies are coming here. To be a village in Belize you need to have 300 persons. So these are two villages bringing you that level of care. We are dedicated. We are on a shift system, our workers know that they must be here present for the nation in any context. Because although Belizeans are celebrating and being happy, life does not stop.”

 

In moments like these, the innovation of hospital staff truly shines. Take this doctor, for example, who ensures that her patients experience the spirit of the festivities the moment they step into her clinic. For Maurice Westby, patriotism lives in the heart.

 

Maurice Westby
“What matters, ma’am, is what you have in your heart.  Sometimes duty calls, sometimes you have to even neglect your family. But what matters is what’s in your heart. I know I am patriotic in my heart, I know what I did  for my country. So, yes, whatever you have in your heart, you just have to go by what you have there.”

 

 

And if you ask either of these frontline workers what drives them through the long, unconventional hours, time away from loved ones, and even missing their country’s national celebrations, they might tell you it’s the deep sense of fulfillment they gain. For Nurse Slusher that certainly is the case.

 

Darwin Slusher

“When you see that patient come into the emergency department, for example in a road traffic accident, they come either here to the ICU or to one of the different patient areas and then that patient has recovered and discharged and that person says, nurse, thank you, that is one of the greatest feelings you have as a healthcare provider. No money can ever repay you for that gratification you feel when you see that person restored back to normalization.”

 

Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.