Monday, August 19, 2013

The Good Samaritan


Living on a busy street Nancy is inevitably drawn into crises. A couple of years ago Nancy came outside to greet Dennis and me when we had just arrived for a visit, but before we said a word a van hit a bicyclist right in front of the house. In a flash Nancy had her cell phone out, calling 911 and describing the situation to the dispatcher who took her call.

Recently a homeless man rang Nancy’s doorbell, asking for help. He said he was having a heart attack. Nancy asked him to sit in a chair on her porch while she called for an ambulance. While they waited for help to come she stood by him, rubbing his back and whispering words of encouragement.

The latest incident occurred on Saturday afternoon. Returning from a shopping trip, Nancy and I had just pulled into her circular driveway when a motorcycle crashed right in front of us. The young man who was driving and the young woman who rode behind him managed to extricate themselves from beneath the machine but they clearly were injured.

Nancy jumped out of the car, rushing to help. She herded the limping, bleeding pair up the stairs of her porch and into the house. By the time I followed them in, she had first aid supplies out, cleaning bits of gravel out of the palms of their hands. Both the young people were rubbing their legs that had been pinned under the machine, but the most serious injury turned out to be torn skin on the young man’s abdomen, baring muscle tissue and causing great pain.

Nancy covered the tear with a huge bandage and announced, “We’re going to the emergency room.” Todd, Nancy’s husband, wheeled the Yamaha into the fenced-in back yard while Nancy loaded the young people into the car. Todd drove, the young woman sitting beside him, while Nancy sat in back with the young man. At the emergency room Nancy called the young man’s mother, then left the injured pair in the care of emergency personnel.

The Yamaha fared better than its passengers, with just a few scratches and a broken foot rest.

I’m very proud of my daughter, the Good Samaritan, whose compassion and cool thinking help people whose misfortunes occur at her front door.

Copyright 2013 by Shirley Domer

3 comments:

Jayhawk Fan said...

Oh, Mama! You are too kind! The boy did call here yesterday and left a message thanking me and telling me that they were resting at home and were going to be okay. I called him back this morning and he and his mom then came over to pick up the bike. His mother told me that he called me "his angel." That made me happy we were there!

LawrenceLinda said...

When the "freak accident" demons descend, how wonderful it is to be rescued by 'good samaritan' angels. A wonderful daughter and son-in-law, Shirley.

Laurie said...

Nancy, you are amazing! I want you around in an emergency.