The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

Alabama Surgeon Walks Six Miles Through Snowstorm to Operate on Dying Man

As winter weather shut down highways and crippled portions of the South, one Alabama neurosurgeon made a heroic decision Tuesday not to let Mother Nature get in the way of life-saving treatment.

Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw, a 62-year-old brain surgeon (who has had a liver transplant), was working in Birmingham's Brookwood Medical Center when he was contacted by another hospital. There, a patient was desperate for emergency surgery for a traumatic brain injury.

Hrynkiw set off across town to operate, but his vehicle could only go so far in traffic and snow-stalled roads. His cell phone service went in and out as he tried to communicate with nurses. So he made a brave decision to get out and walk – for more than six miles, in a massive snowstorm – a feat that has earned praise at Trinity Medical Center where he operated, as a hero, NBC reported.

"He had a 90 percent chance of death, and the nurses and the ER physicians called me when I was walking and told me he was deteriorated and went into unconsciousness," Hrynkiw told the Associated Press about the desperate patient. "He was dying. If he didn't have surgery, he would be dead. It's not going to happen on my watch."

The determined physician made it to the operating room and his patient, according to the hospital, is now doing well.

"It was not just a walk in the park," Keith Granger, CEO of Trinity, told Alabama news site AI.com. Given what the doctor was up against, "it's a remarkable physical feat and mental feat. And we have an individual alive today who wouldn't be here if not for his efforts."

[kuhio98]

Papa John's donates pizzas before the big freeze

Gulfport, Mississippi ~ The freezing rain wasn't enough to stop Papa John's from feeding those in need. The pizza restaurant delivered free pies to several organizations across the Coast as the temperatures fell.

Papa John's manager Josh Green said he knew people could be shut in for several days due to the freeze and didn't want them to go hungry.

"It's a service to the community. I mean, these people deserve to eat just like anybody else, and we're in a position to give that to them, and that's what we're trying to do," said Green.

Debra Fox, director of the shelter, said that she was grateful to Papa John's for the donation.

"He came by to bless the shelter with something to eat and we're so glad about it," said Fox.

Sister Strengthening Sister wasn't the only organization that received the pizza donations. Green made sure his company stayed open long enough to deliver pizzas to police and fire departments, the Salvation Army, several churches and other homeless shelters.

After that, the pizza place shut its doors due to the weather.

[kuhio98]

'He wouldn't give up': Hero boy follows hunch to save elderly woman

Ten-year-old Danny DiPietro was on his way home from lacrosse practice with his dad on Saturday night when he thought he spotted a dog lying in the open garage of a condo complex near his home in Howell, Mich.

“It was really cold out and something didn’t seem right,” Danny told TODAY.com.

DiPietro’s parents assured him that no one would leave their dog out on such a frigid evening, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. After a bit of prodding, his mom, Dawn, agreed to investigate the garage for him.

“He wouldn’t give up,” Dawn, 44, told TODAY.com. “Thankfully, he was persistent.”

As Dawn walked up the driveway, she realized what Danny had seen was actually an elderly woman lying on the ground, waving her gloveless hands in the air for help.

The woman, 80-year-old Kathleen St. Onge, had been stuck in below-freezing temperatures for an hour and a half after slipping on a patch of ice in her garage. To make matters worse, she had lost her gloves and shoes in an attempt to scoot herself to the front of the garage, where she thought she would be spotted more easily. And a bitter wind was carrying snow inside.

“She said she had prayed to the Blessed Mother that someone would help her and find her,” St. Onge’s daughter Sandy St. Onge-Mitter told TODAY.com. “She knew she only had about an hour left. She thought she would be gone.”

Dawn immediately ran home and called 911. The DiPietros and a neighbor came back with blankets and chatted with St. Onge while she warmed up. When police arrived, she was rushed to a nearby hospital.

“I was amazed,” Danny said. “I just felt really good that she was okay.”

St. Onge was released on Wednesday afternoon after being treated for hypothermia and dehydration. Doctors told her family that she would not have survived an hour longer in the extreme cold.

“She’s grateful,” St. Onge-Mitter said. “She knows that if it wasn’t for Danny's persistency, she probably wouldn’t be here today. So he is a hero.”

St. Onge has yet to meet Danny in person, but her daughter says she “can’t wait.” The DiPietros had an opportunity to meet St. Onge-Mitter on Tuesday during an interview for local television.

“It was very emotional,” St. Onge-Mitter said. “Danny’s a remarkable boy, but his family should also be getting a lot of credit. They acted on his hunch. It was a family affair.”

The two families plan on staying in touch.

“We’ve made a life-long friend,” St. Onge-Mitter said.

[kuhio98]

Horse rescued in Hamilton after falling into pond

HAMILTON, Mass. (WHDH) -- - After nearly two hours, first responders were able to rescue a horse that had fallen into an icy pond in Hamilton.

The 1,800-pound horse, named Moon, had gotten loose early Saturday and was wandering through a swamp when it broke through the ice.

A couple and their son were out for a walk when they heard a noise, spotted the horse and dialed 911.

“We walked to the end of the road and came back and heard a sound,” said eyewitness Amy Cavilla.

Moon has a few bruises and was cold when she was finally able to get out of the water, but veterinarians said that she’s expected to be okay.

“She was able to stand and maintain her balance and walk into the barn. She is just freezing cold after two hours in the cold,” said an official on the scene.

[kuhio98]

Comforted by a Canine Angel
When a dog unexpectedly appeared in her husband's hospital room, she wondered why he was there. But not for long...
By Peggy Frezon, Rensselaer, New York

I huddled in the vinyl chair near the foot of the hospital bed. That man lying there, pale and still, monitors blinking all around him, oxygen tube clamped to his nose–I barely recognized him. How could that be Mike, the husband I’d relied on for 31 years?

My take-charge guy was battling multiple blood clots in his lungs that had debilitated his body. The doctor said the worst was over. Now we just had to be patient.

But I’d made myself sick with worry, spending my days at the hospital and night after sleepless night at home, scared and completely on my own. For the first time in my life, I had no one to depend on.

We were one of those couples who did everything together.

At breakfast we did the daily crossword puzzle, sharing a pen. We went together to the gym, where we climbed aboard adjacent treadmill machines, plugged in our ear buds and watched the same show on TV. When Mike tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the screen, I always knew exactly what he was thinking.

Mike was my rock. Lord, please help him get better. I feel all alone without him. A strange sound came from the hospital corridor. A sharp click-click-click-click on the linoleum floor drew nearer till it stopped outside Mike’s room. I did a double take. A dog loomed in the doorway.

I recognized the breed by his distinctive black and white coat highlighted by rust-colored markings–a Bernese Mountain Dog. The special collar distinguished him as a therapy dog. I gazed at Mike, awake but dazed.

I’d been a dog-lover all my life, but what could a therapy dog possibly do to help my husband? The dog seemed to read my thoughts. He had a job to do and he got to it.

Purposefully, he stepped into the room, handler in tow. I sat quietly watching this well-trained beauty. Maybe petting the dog’s soft fur will give Mike some small comfort.

As the dog headed toward Mike’s bedside, he suddenly stopped. He padded over to my chair and looked into my eyes. With that, the dog nudged his head against my waist, as if asking for a hug. I put my arms around him and buried my face into his thick, velvety fur till I felt the gentle pulsing of his heart.

I am here, its rhythm seemed to say.

My whole body relaxed. My stress lifted away. Mike smiled from the bed. The dog let me hold him for as long as I needed to. When I finally released him, he put his paw on my knee and looked up at me. I turned to his handler. “How did he know that I was the one who needed him?”

“Gabriel always knows,” she said.

I stroked the dog’s neck. Gabriel. My angel dog. The Lord knew how to soothe me. He’d keep me strong while my husband regained his health. On that I could depend.

[kuhio98]

Yard sale raises over $10,000 for fire victims

Brooksville, Florida - From t-shirts to golf clubs, Papa Joe's Yard Sale in Brooksville had overwhelming support from the community this weekend.

Papa Joe's is raising money to help its employees, who lost their jobs after the mom and pop restaurant was destroyed in a fire on Jan. 24.

The event was so successful on Saturday, the restaurant's owners, Joseph and Donna Giarratana, decided to hold it again on Sunday. They wound up raising more than $10,000.

"They bring items and they go away with items. So, it's just great. They just really do whatever they can do to show support," said Papa Joe's owner Joseph Giarratana.

"It means a lot. The community kicked in and put a lot to us. I've been here 25 years and I don't have anything. So hopefully he'll come back pretty soon," said former employee Teresa Mott.

The owners tell 10 News they will rebuild, but they don't know when or where.

Papa Joe's will hold another fundraiser in two weeks on Feb. 16. It will be at the Spring Lake Methodist Church in Brooksville from 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

[kuhio98]

Lenexa teen recognized for pulling 53 cars from snow for free

LENEXA, Kan. - As the snow storm blew through the area Tuesday night , most of us were fast asleep, but Andrew Flood of Lenexa, Kan., was hard at work.

The 19-year-old spent the entire night pulling cars out of the snow. He was out in the cold so long that the bottom of his jeans had frozen solid and by the time the sun came up, he had helped 53 people.

Andrew's work was done completely as a volunteer. He didn’t ask or take a dime from any of the people he helped, but his good deeds aren't going without recognition.

When 41 Action News featured Andrew on Wednesday's morning show, Mary Montgomery-Shatz was watching. She is the director of operations for LongHorn Steakhouse and gave Flood a $200 gift card.

Flood was stunned and said he just likes helping people.

"Sometimes people don't have money for road side or towing," Flood said. "For us to show up and help them out, families they appreciate that. If it's their daughter or son and they're stuck out in the middle of nowhere, they like to know the feeling that people are out there willing to help them."

His father Brad Flood couldn't be more proud.

Flood plans on maintaining that spirit of helping others. He's currently studying to become a paramedic.

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