Andrew Browning: EMS Provider of the Year
Story 178

“Just one drink and I’ll make it. Please, just one,” the distraught patient pleads from the stretcher as the ambulance rushes to Adventist Health Tillamook’s emergency department.

“Listen man, you’re through the worst of it,” paramedic Andrew Browning replies as he monitors the patient’s condition. “I know it’s bad right now, but you’re over the hump. You can get through this.”

At the hospital, a medical team meets them at the door and swiftly wheels the patient in to be treated for severe alcohol withdrawals. As Andrew turns to leave for the next call, it suddenly strikes him: he related to that patient because he’d had a drinking problem too.

But it wasn’t alcohol that Andrew had been hooked on — it was soda pop. And he drank so much of it that it could have cost him his life.

Pop addiction takes a turn

Even back in high school, Andrew carried extra weight. Not because he ate huge amounts, but because he hadn’t learned how to build a healthy diet. Instead of nutritious meals, he ate mostly junk food. And instead of juice or water, he drank mainly sugary drinks like soda pop.

Over time, Andrew’s soda cravings turned into what he now calls “a horrible addiction,” pouring thousands of empty calories into his body and ramping his weight up to a critical 650 pounds.

“I would drink a minimum of two 2-liter bottles of Coca-Cola a day, and that alone is getting close to the daily caloric intake for a male,” Andrew recalls. “I was on disability, taking large doses of painkillers, and living a life that revolved around sitting at home, getting to the grocery store three times a month and going to see my doctor once every three months.”

Clearing the obstacles

Andrew knew he needed a major medical intervention, so he went to see his primary care provider.

“She was blunt with me,” he shares. “She said, ‘Andrew, you’re young. You’re very lucky because while you’re over 600 pounds, you don’t have diabetes, you don’t have high cholesterol, and you’ve been reasonably healthy. But you’re just starting to have high blood pressure. Things can start snowballing like crazy, so you’ve got to get your weight fixed.’”

From patient to paramedic

On a crisp October day in 2016, a surgical team performed an operation that changed (and possibly saved) Andrew’s life. Gastric sleeve surgery, as the procedure is called, reduces the size of a person’s stomach, which in turn lowers food intake and reduces hunger signals to the brain. It’s not an instant fix, but it can help set a person up for success.

“The main goal of weight-loss surgery is giving you a tool to reset your lifestyle,” Andrew says. “In my case it made me feel full faster. I stopped drinking soda and started eating more protein. I dropped a significant amount of weight — about 350 pounds so far.”

As the pounds melted away, Andrew became more mobile and experienced less pain in his back and hips. He even dared to dream again about a possible career in emergency medicine.

“I’ve always had an intense passion for EMS, but I never thought I’d actually be able to do it,” he says. “I’d watch from the outside and wish I could. Then after losing the weight, I thought, ‘I think I actually might be able to do this now.’ So I went and started taking classes.”

First he earned his basic EMT at Clatsop Community College in Astoria, Ore. Then, while working multiple weekly shifts, he completed a higher level of training and became an Intermediate EMT. Finally, while also working full-time and working extra shifts for peers, he pursued a rigorous paramedic course online and finished his certification with a two-week intensive training in Boston, Mass.

“I was definitely nervous at first,” Andrew admits. “I had done a lot of damage to my body by being so big for so long. But the passion and love I have for this line of work overcame it all. I knew I had to at least try because I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t attempt it.”

Ultimately, Andrew took any obstacles that cropped up in his path and turned them into stepping stones to propel him forward. To this day he strategically uses his thoughts and habits to his advantage.

Rather than staying up late and watching TV, for instance, he sleeps early to be primed and ready for whatever work calls lie ahead. Instead of reaching for good old soda pop, he now chooses water, sometimes flavored with a bit of Crystal Light for flavor. When he could be absently munching on fatty snacks, he instead opts for protein shakes and lean meats to build more muscle. And when he could be lounging around on work breaks, he lifts weights.

Perhaps most importantly, Andrew has learned how to practice his greatest personal gift: a caring heart.

“I have a lot of compassion for people,” he shares. “I’ve spent an hour on scene with someone just because they need it. Sometimes it’s a matter of giving medication for nausea or pain. Or helping someone up from the ground where they’ve fallen. Or placing an IV for someone with diabetes. Or helping a person who’s hurt on the beach or who has a broken ankle on a trail. Sometimes it’s just listening or sharing a kind of talk therapy. I always try to help each person feel the best they can depending on what’s going on.”

Awarded for excellence 

Andrew’s outstanding achievements as a paramedic earned him the distinction of being named the 2024 Emergency Medical Services Provider of the Year by Adventist Health Tillamook. Out and about, at the local grocery store and beyond, locals who have seen the news have congratulated him and expressed appreciation for his service.

But Andrew doesn’t let that go to his head. He approaches every shift with a humble spirit, grateful for the struggles that could have held him back but that actually brought him closer to his dad’s example of helping others in need.

“Many people have a lot of stuff going on, and they get to a point where they just want to give up,” Andrew says. “I tell them my story and I say never give up. Looking back, I’d pretty much given up on myself, but then I decided to try this and it completely changed my life.”

To anyone considering a career as a first responder, Andrew says to just go for it and stick with your goal no matter what.

“It’s never too late to change or try something new,” he says. “It’s also never too late to go after a dream. Persevere and push through. Don’t let little roadblocks get in your way. With some hard work and a good attitude, a lot of stuff is within reach.”

Written by Loree Chase