(Newswire.net — August 31, 2014) — The men fought to save a man’s life, then offered help in a way his family never expected – it’s a heartfelt gesture family members say they’ll never forget.
For the firefighters and EMTs of Station 4 in Baytown it was another normal assignment: rushing to a 911 call to help save someone’s life, but to the family and neighbors of John McCormick it was beyond normal. It helped restore a bit of their faith in humanity and the kindness of strangers.
A 65-year-old John McCormick collapsed while mowing his front yard. He had a history of heart trouble. This time his heart stopped.
Firefighters and EMTs revived him and followed the ambulance to the hospital. But then engine driver Luke Bednarek had an idea. So, they drove back to the house.
That’s when a neighbor secretly took a picture of firefighter Blake Steffanauer finishing the front yard.
“I just happened to get off the truck first, so I grabbed the lawnmower first.
But it was a letter, and a gesture, that made a daughter Jeana weep – “we’re all fighting over it,” Stefffenauer said.
They took turns behind John McCormick’s lawn mower. They finished the backyard too, locked the garage, put the padlock key in the mailbox, and Giles left a handwritten note to John’s wife, Patsy McCormick that said in part “We felt bad that your husband didn’t get to finish the yard, so we did.”
For the firefighters of Baytown, Texas, it was not a big deal. “Just something to help someone out in the worst time of their life,” said Lt. J.D. Giles.
Unfortunately, John McCormick died two days later.
But while the firefighters were mowing his yard, a neighbor secretly took a series of cell phone photographs and posted them to social media. The response has been remarkable.
The picture of that random act of kindness, posted to the City of Baytown Facebook page, is already going viral. The McCormick family is getting calls from as far away as New Zealand.
“This shows just exactly how special they really are,” said Jeana Blackford who, despite the grief over losing her father, wanted to publicly thank the men of Station 4 for showing everyone the impact a single random act of kindness can have.
“Thank you. We love you,” added Patsy McCormick.
Firefighters of Station 4 in Baytown, Texas, proved that being a firefighter is more than just a profession.
John McCormick, an Air Force veteran, will be buried with full military honors next week at Houston National Cemetery.