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The Rock's child was rushed to the ER. His gracious post says a lot.

Everyone loves Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

The guy isn’t just an all-around superstar — he’s an inspiration, too. That’s why so many people flock to his Instagram every time he shares a photo or video.

Johnson’s posts are usually fun and motivational, but one he shared March 6 was much more somber in tone. In a touchingly open video, he shared that his daughter, Jasmine, had a medical emergency the Saturday before and was taken to the hospital.

"Something happened to me and my family that I would never want to happen to any of you guys out there," Johnson said right before letting viewers know that Jasmine spent all night in the emergency room.

Fortunately, his daughter was doing just fine shortly after, but Johnson knows that she may not have been without a lot of help.

He quickly shouted out the 911 operator who calmly walked him through what he needed to do next as well as the first responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department and the doctors and nurses at UCLA’s medical center.

"I just want to say thank you so much to everybody who was involved, so caring and compassionate and responsive," Johnson said, the gratitude and relief palpable in his voice.

And his gratitude is sending another message, too: We should all be more aware of the amazing work first responders do and the challenges they face on a daily basis.

911 operators are the first line of defense when it comes to emergencies. Though these jobs can be rewarding, they can also carry a heavy emotional weight.

As the people who are supposed to help you stay calm during some of the hardest moments of your life, they’re required to provide support to callers while dispatching emergency services. Sometimes they don’t even have time for breaks.

One 911 dispatcher told Cosmopolitan in a 2017 interview about not even having time to pee:

"We did have a quiet room where we could go if things got too overwhelming, but truthfully, we didn't really use it. Things got so crazy during the day that often times you couldn't even get up to pee for eight hours. You can't abandon your station just because you're uncomfortable or you're upset. You're still a public service."

Emergency service providers — those who are first to arrive on the scene — have an even more complex duty. They must not only assess the situation but decide on a course of action in situations that are often life or death. As Medstar paramedic Jason Hernandez told The Atlantic in 2016, "there’s not a whole lot of downtime."

"There are challenges all over the place," Hernandez added. "Everybody’s got a different thing going on. You have to worry about the dangers of a chaotic environment, from violent people to safety on the road."

[rebelmouse-image 19346206 dam="1" original_size="750x500" caption="Image via ER24 EMS/Flickr." expand=1]Image via ER24 EMS/Flickr.

Emergency service workers are trained to work in high-stress environments, but that doesn’t mean they’re not at risk for developing stress-related disorder from their jobs.

In a study done at Northern Illinois University, 911 operators were found to suffer from traumatic stress as a result of their jobs, with some meeting criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. Paramedics, police officers, and firemen were also more likely to develop PTSD as well as experience symptoms of depression and anxiety.

But progress is being made. Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced in early March 2018 that he’d sign a measure to expand workers’ compensation benefits for first responders "who suffer job-related post-traumatic stress disorder," something that’s vital in the wake of events like the shootings at Pulse nightclub and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.This expansion won’t just help those who are first on the scene financially, it could also help reduce some of the stigma of mental illness and encourage first responders to seek help when they need it.

But gratitude is also important. And Johnson’s video is a reminder that we can’t take the work emergency service providers do for granted. Especially when they save the lives of our loved ones — like little Jasmine here, who her mom says is "unstoppable."

The munchkin is unstoppable! 😂🙏🏼❤️🎤@therock

A post shared by Lauren Hashian (@laurenhashianofficial) on

Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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