Sunday, March 18, 2007

100 Posts...

This is my 101. :)


This morning at Mass a man a few seats ahead of me collapsed. I noticed him leaning over sideways, about to fall over. The couple behind him caught him and people helped him down. When he was laying on the pew I realized it was serious and went to help.

I walked up saying I'm a RN, can I help. I felt his neck. Had a pulse. Someone called 911. I talked to dispatch. The man was gray, unresponsive, sweaty and when he came to was confused. We got him in a wheelchair and wheeled him to the entrance way of the church.

Fire dept showed up first. Put oxygen on the man. The ambulance got there. The man was OK and checked out OK. He refused to go to the hospital because he felt fine by then.

Turns out this man has cancer and started chemo. It was probably the drugs that caused his blood pressure to drop drastically and he fainted.

The oddest thing about the whole situation...when I returned back to my pew to be with my kids the people around me were asking me if I knew that man. When I said no they were shocked I helped a stranger. And these are good Mass going Christians that go every Sunday....something wrong with that.

5 comments:

Matthew said...

It is wonderful that you did such a holy thing! And, congratulations on 100 posts!

Adoro said...

Wow. I'm shocked, too, that everyone questioned your willingness to help. Amazing to me.

I think that some people are hesitant to help in medical situations because they don't have training and don't know what to do, which is completely understandable; it's best to let people who HAVE the training step up. But to QUESTION you for helping a brother in Christ at MASS???????

ukok said...

It's amazing isn't it? how it can be thought of as odd that one person would help another, in a church of all places...goodness, the people who questioned you really sound as though they need to examine their consciences if they are questioning whether they would help a brother or sister in need.

Congrats to you on your 101'st post!

Staying in Balance said...

Wow. That's a sad commentary on our times. Glad you helped him.

Anonymous said...

You are a good Samaritan!