March 23, 2021 by Cathy Stack
Shonda learned from her friendly conversations with Helen that the woman lived alone and had recently fallen. To make the mail easier for Helen to grip, the mail carrier had a thoughtful habit of tightly wrapping the bundle with rubber bands. Helen in turn randomly taped candy to her outgoing mail to leave for her favorite mail carrier as a token of her appreciation. It was that caring bond that motivated Shonda to go the extra mile and check in her customer.
Shonda knew it was unlikely that Helen would be traveling so when she didn’t respond to her knock, alarm bells went off. She listened to her instincts and immediately called authorities to conduct an urgent welfare check for Helen. Help arrived within minutes.
Upon entry to Helen’s home, authorities found her lying helplessly on the living room floor. The elderly woman had fallen several days prior and was unable to move due to the injuries she sustained. She had laid there for days suffering without any food or water. It was unlikely in Helen’s condition that she would have survived much longer had she not been rescued.
Helen was immediately rushed to the hospital. She was weak from dehydration and malnutrition but was miraculously still alive.
“My heart trembled, it just made me cry,” described Shonda of the enormous relief she felt upon hearing the incredible news that Helen was alive. Helen remained in the hospital recovering for a week and was then sent to a rehab facility to regain mobility.
Helen’s niece, Mary Mason said she was grateful Shonda was there at the right time to save her aunt’s life. Mary felt compelled to thank Shonda in person. The two women had the opportunity to meet and exchange a warm embrace on a cold winter day. “You’re an angel,” Mary told Shonda.
The community hails Shanda as a hero, but she laughs off the praise. “I don’t look at myself as a hero,” Shonda said humbly. “I just look at myself as one of God’s children looking after his other kids. That was my blessing for the day, that she was OK,” she added.
Passiton praises Shonda for her caring nature and quick-thinking action which helped to save a woman’s life. Being observant of community members’ habits provided her with the instinct to know when something was dreadfully wrong. She went above and beyond the call of duty. Her action is a great example of the value of community. Please help us honor Shonda by sharing her heartwarming story of the miracles that can occur when we all look out for one another.
Please tell us about your everyday Hero. The Heroes among us are ordinary people whose actions leave a lasting and positive impact in their communities and demonstrate the potential in all of us. Their heroic acts uphold our shared values. Help honor these individuals by creating a billboard and sharing their story at: http://www.passiton.com/your-billboards/create
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