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Dinner helps former nurse

Kathy Chambers, Blue River’s Red Cross Outpost Hospital nurse for over 25 years, now has serious health problems
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Volunteers wear nurse caps during Blue River's annual community harvest dinner on Saturday evening

Becca Beaton

The community of Blue River came together last Saturday evening to dedicate the funds raised during its annual Harvest Dinner to assist Kathy Chambers, the former nurse at Blue River Outpost Hospital.

Who is Kathy Chambers? Kathy was Blue River’s Red Cross Outpost Hospital nurse for over 25 years. She and her siblings grew up in Blue River. Kathy attended elementary school in Blue River, high school in Clearwater, and earned her RN degree in Kamloops’ Royal Inland Hospital.

After a few years in Kelowna, Kathy and her husband returned to Blue River and raised their three sons here while Kathy became our nurse.

Kathy is known for her excellent and knowledgable nursing skills, her feisty spirit and her delightful, dry sense of humor.

She proved herself to be a good listener who never broke a confidence.

She was on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sometimes she was called to attend patients in emergency situations who were travelling through town on the train. The train would stop here after a staff member had radioed ahead to have Kathy come and meet the train.

When Kathy was on holiday the Outpost was rarely busy, as local patients would rather suffer a while and wait to see Kathy on her return.

She knew us well, was familiar with our troubles and would give us her best care – accompanied by bracing and often humorous comments that helped us carry on.

 

Devastating health issues leading to four long and serious spinal surgeries have occurred and Kathy is presently in a wheelchair. Now we, as a community, have an opportunity to help.