THE heroics of a 24-year-old Mountain View man, who in October took over an ambulance after the driver had suffered a fatal heart attack, has been rewarded.

Tirique Wade was on Thursday offered a job as an ambulance driver trainee by Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC). He was presented with the offer along with several vouchers and other goodies by HIC’s Head of Community Engagement and Market Development Rachel Christian at the Jamaica Observer’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters in St Andrew.

However, the moment was bittersweet for the young man, who revealed that his mother is battling advanced breast cancer.

“I’m glad I can get a job offer,and get work to kind of help my mother more,” said Wade as he revealed that she had been diagnosed with the disease in January.

Her diagnosis has made the job offer doubly important for Wade while reaffirming his belief in helping others.

“That’s why I say each one helps one. I would like to have it to help my mom buy a house and a car, [but] she called me and told me the cancer in her body spread… that is the real problem now,” Wade added while declaring, “but we are here still and a give God praises.”

The job offer followed a Observer online report of the October 28 incident in which the ambulance driver suffered a fatal heart attack while en route to Andrews Memorial Hospital with a patient. With the ambulance without a driver, and other onlookers unable to operate vehicles with a stick-shift transmission system, Wade stepped in and drove the ambulance to Andrews, saving the patient’s life.

Describing the aftermath in which people hailed him as a hero, Wade said with a laugh: “I kind of like it still, because I’m glad I could help someone and I would like [others] to do the same.”

The aspiring musician (@kredential4) says he has a lot to think about now as this is his second job offer — the other, he said, came from the very patient he assisted.

“I got an offer from the youth whose life I saved because he was a supervisor at the cement factory. I am taking both of them into consideration,” he said.

“I really want to go further because I want to do music, but you have to have money [for that]; for now we just have to take something else until we can reach there,” added Wade.

HIC’s Christian explained that it was Wade’s bravery and act of kindness that pushed the institute to offer him a position.

“[The situation] piqued our interest and then, of course, how quickly Tirique responded, we were just like ‘Wow, we need someone like that on our team’,” said Christian.

“It required a lot of courage, it’s not easy; most people freeze up and that’s why what he did was so commendable,” added Christian.

She argued that too many people are unaware of how prolific heart attacks are.

“People don’t realise how sudden heart attacks can happen; you can be driving literally and just shut down and can’t do anything,” she said. “A heart attack can happen at any time and there are silent heart attacks. I would advise people to get checked regularly.”

Faced with his mother’s condition, Wade has a strong focus on health and maintained that he is committed to his philosophy of helping others.

“I would appreciate help from anyone that can help her, this is why I say we have to help each other. You only want to have money in life until one of your family members is sick or you’re sick, [then] you want health. At that time money is nothing to you. Right now I would like my mom to be able to go through her [treatment] and make it through,” declared Wade.

He also used the opportunity to thank individuals who he said have stood by him in difficult times, including the owner of the takeout and delivery restaurant, Friday Frenzy, located in Mountain View, which he urged people to support.

Wade also thanked the family members who he said have helped make his own life easier, making special mention of his uncle “Trini” and his father Dave Wade.

“I respect my father because he gives me everything he has and will do without. I want to make it in life so I can help him,” he said.

In speaking directly to the country’s young men, the former Oracabessa High School student said: “Believe in yourself, because if I can do it, you can too. Just have faith and believe in God.”

Wade never completed high school but says he now believes he is in line for greatness. He’s hoping for the opportunity to send himself back to school for a formal education.