The Optimist

He thought he was too old to be an EMT. At 76, he’s saved countless lives.

A moped injury left Ed Levien vulnerable and grateful to strangers for their help. That led him to his second, and most meaningful, act — as an EMT.

Today at 8:10 a.m. EDT


Ed Levien, who was one of the oldest EMTs in Maryland, began volunteering in his mid-60s. He gave up being an EMT in April but still works at the rescue squad. (Cara Taylor/For The Washington Post)

By Kyle Melnick

The day a man collapsed in a parking lot in Bethesda, Maryland, EMT Ed Levien rushed in an ambulance to the scene, where the injured man repeatedly called for Jesus.

“Jesus isn’t here,” Levien recalled telling him. “You’ve got to put up with me.”

The man looked at Levien’s mustached face, his thinning gray hair and his round glasses and replied, “Okay, Pops.”

{snip}