The only clues were his gaunt frame and a slight tremor in the hands that helped to save an untold number of lives over the past 23 years.

Haynes was a charter member of Boyd County Emergency Medical Services and one of the first certified paramedics in the state of Kentucky.

He retired Oct. 31 — but not because he wanted to.

Haynes, 53, of Shopes Creek, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in April.

Surgeons removed Haynes' stomach and put him on radiation and chemotherapy treatments. But in July, doctors found that the cancer had spread to his intestines.

``I don't think they gave me much hope," he said.

However, Haynes said Friday that he was feeling good and that he had already outlived his original prognosis by three months.

Among the honors Haynes received at his retirement party was a lifetime membership in the Kentucky Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Haynes is the first person to receive that honor, said Bob Thacker of Louisville, chairman of the association's board of governors.

Over the years, about 15 others have been presented to the board for consideration as lifetime members, Thacker said. All were rejected.

The board chose to grant Haynes the honor because he is considered a pioneer in the field of pre-hospital emergency care, Thacker said.

``Pretty much everyone around the state of Kentucky knows Charlie Haynes," he said.

Thacker said it was also noteworthy that Haynes had worked for 23 years as a street-level paramedic. Emergency workers usually have much shorter careers because of the physical and emotional toll the job takes, he said.

The Kentucky Association of EMT is a professional, political and educational organization representing about 15,000 paramedics statewide.

Haynes, who served as operations manager of Boyd County EMS, will be sorely missed, said Bob Gainer, the agency's executive director.

``He's a brother to everyone here," he said. ``I think he would've been here for another 10 to 15 years if not for this illness."

Friends and fellow emergency workers contributed about $5,000 to a fund established this past summer to help defray Haynes' medical expenses, Boyd EMS spokesman Marty Johnson said.

Haynes said his career with the EMS had been an ``extraordinary" experience.

He said he had lost count of the number of lives he had helped to save.

He said people will frequently come up to him and thank him and that it embarrasses him somewhat that he can't remember them.