When Sauk Prairie Ambulance Service crews pull on pink shirts each October, they remember Janet Ramsey, a 23-year EMT whose work and support reached far beyond the ambulance bay. Ramsey died Sept. 15 at age 67, surrounded by family. The tradition began five years ago, after Ramsey learned her breast cancer had returned. Her crew surprised her by wearing pink on Oct. 1. The gesture continued each year, and now serves as a tribute to a colleague who helped others through difficult diagnoses even as she faced her own. “She was my rock,” said Carla Nolden, who worked alongside Ramsey for 19 years, including 15 as regular crewmates. The two shared holidays and family milestones, and relied on one another through the emotional strain of emergency medical work. Off duty, they baked, ate out and spent time together, Nolden said. Ramsey’s service to Sauk Prairie extended well beyond her EMT work. She was named EMT of the Year in 2007, served with Sauk County Search and Rescue, taught CPR and led Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. She also coached and taught swimming. After Ramsey’s 19-year-old son, Christopher, died in 2009, she became an advocate for organ donation. Christopher was a donor, and Ramsey welcomed some of his recipients into her family. She later traveled to events including the Transplant Games, where she coached Team USA’s swim team for several years. Ramsey also worked to expand breast cancer support and research. As a Susan G. Komen Advocacy Ambassador, she lobbied in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., for insurance coverage requirements and federal research funding. On April 29, 2026, she was named the organization’s National Advocate Champion. Even while undergoing cancer treatment, Ramsey continued working in emergency services. After retiring from a nearly 40-year career as a medical laboratory technician at UW Health, she remained with Sauk Prairie Ambulance and joined Dane County District One EMS in 2023. Sauk Prairie Ambulance Director Kelli Kirch said Ramsey also helped fellow crew members navigate appointments and treatment after they received cancer diagnoses. When the service announced Ramsey’s death, more than 120 people commented within hours, Kirch said. “She didn’t lead by shouting from the front,” Kirch said. “She kept going through hard things and brought people along with her.” For Nolden, continuing the pink-shirt tradition is one way to carry forward Ramsey’s example. “We need to continue to be good people,” she said. “We need to love each other. We need to advocate for each other.”