A person on TikTok named Zac Crickenberger (@TheSleepyParamedic), extensively recognized for the movies and tales he posts about his job as an EMT, has lately come below fireplace after his most up-to-date, now-deleted TikTok acquired a number of criticism for the contents he revealed.
After responding to a remark asking, “What’s a second it took every little thing you had to not giggle at a affected person?” Crickenberger started his video by saying, “For those who’re simply offended, hold scrolling. Please don’t watch this video, I’m not joking, this isn’t good. Perceive that each one first responders have a really f—ed up, darkish humorousness.”
Within the video, Crickenberger made enjoyable of a deceased affected person with dwarfism.
Earlier than being deleted, a person with dwarfism named Aubrey Taylor, also referred to as Aubrey Smalls on TikTok (@aubreysmalls), made a sew with Crickenberger’s video and spoke out in opposition to the dangerous views that the paramedic was sharing, because the paramedic was sharing them.
“This paramedic was making enjoyable of slightly person who had handed away at his job,” Taylor stated. “To begin with, earlier than I began, I needed to say I’ve a number of respect for first responders — nurses, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs. I believe you guys do unbelievable work each single day and see extremely traumatizing and heartbreaking issues.”
Taylor needed to emphasise that he understands some individuals may need their very own methods of dealing with these sorts of issues, and he definitely isn’t attempting to say that these individuals aren’t allowed to have these coping mechanisms. Nonetheless, he stated, “I simply suppose that making enjoyable of a deceased little particular person in entrance of their household to your 600,000 followers is simply not a good way to deal with that trauma, however let’s transfer on.”
Crickenberger advised the story of what occurred and what he thought was so humorous in regards to the expertise.
He defined that he and his paramedic associate had responded to a name to a home the place there was a deceased particular person. As you’d count on, he stated, their household was all within the entrance yard grieving, crying, and ready for the paramedics to reach.
“After we received inside, we discovered the deceased particular person within the again bed room, and this particular person was three foot tall,” Crickenberger defined. “Not a baby, however a dwarf.” It’s essential to notice, as Taylor does as properly, that “dwarf” is just not the proper terminology to explain somebody with dwarfism.
Taylor defined that “the medical terminology for individuals who have dwarfism is both particular person with dwarfism or little particular person or short-statured particular person.” The truth that Crickenberger isn’t utilizing the proper terminology, Taylor added, confirmed him that the paramedic wasn’t very educated about individuals with dwarfism and claims that it threw him off.
“You by no means discover a deceased dwarf,” Crickenberger continued. “We actually suppose they’re immortal. They simply by no means get sick, they by no means name 911, we’ve by no means seen one.” This feels like a joke, and one which Taylor doesn’t take to very kindly, including that “disabled individuals’s our bodies should not the premise of a joke.”
The paramedic prefaced that the following half does make him an ‘a-hole,’ however stated it was ‘actually humorous.’
After following process and telling the household of the deceased that there was nothing they might do — that each one they might do now was anticipate the coroner — Crickenberger claimed that he and his associate had gone again to their van and sat in plain view of the deceased’s household.
“Understanding full properly that we needed to hold a straight face, and figuring out full properly that the affected person’s household may see him, I performed this tune on my cellphone whereas observing him like this,” he stated, earlier than enjoying “The Lollipop Guild” from “The Wizard of Oz.”
“The Lollipop Guild” was initially carried out within the film by the “Munchkins,” a gaggle that was portrayed by little individuals. Crickenberger performed this tune and made a goofy face to his associate as he moved his head to the beat, insensitively making enjoyable of the deceased particular person and mocking their household’s grief.
“Think about the household of that sufferer who handed away having to see this video,” Taylor stated, interjecting at this second, “of individuals they entrusted to deal with the physique of the one you love making enjoyable of the truth that they have been slightly particular person.”
In response to Insider, Crickenberger has since wiped all of his account’s content material apart from one six-minute-long apology video through which he form of apologized for what he had achieved.
He stated making darkish jokes was how individuals in his line of labor “study to deal” with their trauma, however “that doesn’t imply that individuals outdoors this neighborhood want to listen to any of it.” He additionally stated he doesn’t perceive how he even received to the purpose the place he may make a video like that and never see something incorrect with it.
Since then, that “apology” video has been deleted as properly, leaving one last video about what being an EMT is like and whether or not or not it’s the proper job for you with the feedback turned off. “Perhaps I simply have to get off TikTok altogether,” Crickenberger stated, and that appears to be precisely what he did.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor for YourTango who focuses on leisure and information, social justice, and politics.
