Paramedic perseveres from tragedy to help others

For nearly 30 years, paramedic Scott Monji has dedicated himself to a profession that he admits exists largely out of mind for many in the community he serves.

“We’re a vital service, but people don’t really think about us until they need us,” said Monji, 53.

The same might be said of the vital reserves of quiet strength that Monji himself possesses, those life-sustaining qualities of resolve, perseverance and faith he drew on over two years of nearly unspeakable grief and loss.

Monji grew up in Aina Haina and spent his childhood enamored with the ’70s TV show “Emergency,” which followed the day-to-day adventures of Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 51.

“That was the guiding light that taught me that I could make a difference in someone’s life,” Monji said. “I grew up knowing that’s what I wanted to do, too.”

After graduating from Kalani High School and earning community college credits, Monji homed in on his childhood aspirations, completing Kapiolani Community College’s emergency medical technician program and landing a job with the city in 1988. He completed KCC’s mobile intensive care technician program three years later.

“I have the greatest job on the planet,” he said. “People can burn out, but I always remember that I chose this job; the job didn’t choose me. I made a commitment to serve the public, and that’s exactly what I do. I’m a public servant. It’s an honor to have this job.”

The impulse to serve others, the internal imperative of it, took on a more personal meaning in 2010 when his mother, Lynette, began struggling with symptoms of advanced dementia. The following year, Monji’s older brother, Stanford, was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of brain cancer.

“Physically my mom was OK, but mentally she was like a 3-year-old,” Monji said. “Then I’d look across the table at my brother. His mind was sharp but he couldn’t talk, couldn’t walk. I’d sit there and wonder who was worse off.”

Monji’s mother died in January 2012, his brother just two weeks later. Monji was heartbroken, finding solace in the love and support of his wife, Hyang Sook “Grace” Monji.

Six months later Grace was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Despite aggressive treatment, she died the following year.

“It was totally brutal,” Monji said. “With my mom and brother, I could rely on my wife for support. But then she got sick, and I literally saw it all fall apart in front of me. I watched myself die along with her.”

At his job Monji had served as a lifeline to countless distraught people on the brink of self-destruction. Now he had to do whatever he could to save himself.

And he did just that, relying on work for a sense of structure, on golf for a mental respite and on his two dogs for love and a sense of connection.

A year ago Monji found purpose in something new. For the last several years, first responders around the country have been turning to high-performance CPR to improve patient outcomes.

The practice involves continuous (rather than intermittent) chest compressions at a specific depth and rate. Recognizing the need to adopt the practice in Hawaii, Monji received intensive instruction in Washington state, then returned to Hawaii, where he has rewritten protocols and trained scores of first responders.

To date, the adoption of high-performance CPR in Hawaii has been linked to a significant and steady increase in “code saves,” in which cardiac patients regain a pulse.

For his efforts, Monji was named West Coast regional winner of the First Responder Caring Award, sponsored by Dynarex.

The award serves as a final doff of the cap for Monji, who will retire at the end of the year.

“People ask me how I made it through,” he said. “For me it’s pride in the profession, the humility of the patients and integrity of self. That’s what’s important to me.”

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.