There are a lot of ways to find your calling in life. For Lydia David, it was motherhood that led her to a now 17 year career as a health aide. Despite all the time that has passed, recalling the circumstances can be hard for her. “My daughter was born prematurely. She had medical problems and for the first two years had to be on oxygen. It was a rough time. I didn’t understand much about what was going on with her.”
Her daughter grew stronger and eventually her survival was no longer a day to day worry. About that time, Tetlin’s health aide position became vacant. Lydia, who had been a good student in her science high school classes, had had her interest in biology reignited during her many contacts with health aides, nurses and doctors who worked so hard to keep her daughter alive. In addition, her mother had been a health aide before Lydia was born, and had spoken frequently about those experiences. The job opening seemed like it was meant for her.
Born in Fairbanks but raised in Tetlin, Lydia had to travel to Anchorage for the first two segments of training, and to Nome for the final two. She describes the courses as “intense.” Most adults will say that memorizing in high school seemed much easier than learning a lot of new material as an adult, but there was plenty of support from the instructors and the camaraderie of fellow students. Before long, Lydia had passed all the requirements and was back in Tetlin, now working as a health aide for her family, friends, and neighbors.
The job turned out to be as rewarding as Lydia had hoped. “The best part of this job is helping people. I make sure things are followed through on. I don’t just provide treatment, I sometimes have to be an advocate. I make sure people get the help they need for the problem they came in for. I don’t look at things they may have done wrong in the past, but what they need now.”
The hardest part of the job, according to Lydia, is losing someone. The amount of paperwork, which has increased significantly during the pandemic, is also a frustration, as is being on call 24 hours a day because she is the only health aide in Tetlin.
At the same time, there have been improvements that have made the job easier, especially in the area of technology. “I went from carrying around 15 pounds of books to look things up, to an iPad,” says Lydia. “And the communication available between providers is much better now, which means better services for patients.”
When she is not working, Lydia loves to travel and go boating, but mostly her time is filled with caring for her family. Additionally, her home is a hub for community children who like hanging around her welcoming home. “I just really like kids, and the kids know that my home is open to them at any time.” she says.
Lydia has no plans to leave Tetlin or her position as a health aide. And who knows? By opening her home to any children who want to stop by, she may have already become the inspiration for a boy or girl who will become the next health aide, when Lydia is ready to retire and pass the iPad of medical knowledge onto to the next generation.