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A heartwarming story involving two B.C. residents is going viral for all the right reasons.
Lower Mainland resident Mariam Roya was on her way home from the grocery store when she came across an awful scene.
An 80-year-old man named Sid was bloody, freezing and laying in the middle of the street in desperate need of medical attention.
“He was frazzled and trying to get up but he couldn't! People were just driving around and past him like he didn’t exist,” wrote Roya in a Facebook post.
“I put my emergency lights on and honked my car to make my way to him and ran out to help him up. Not sure if he was homeless but his hands were freezing so he must have been outside for at least 24hours.”
Sprawled out in a Surrey intersection, the elderly man had a large gash on his head that was bleeding profusely, promoting Roya to drive to Surrey Memorial Hospital.
Upon arrival, the two were told to “take a number and wait” to which Roya adamantly refused.
Read the full Facebook post below.
“No I will not make this fragile human wait for care when he's bleeding so either you attend to him right now or I'll make a big fuss in here,” continues Roya’s post.
“I told the receptionist I'm coming back to check up on him later today and her remark was "why are you so concerned with his condition when you don't even know this man"
Roya is adamant the Facebook post is not about recognition, rather the need for people to be more considerate.
“I’m not posting this story for recognition at all,” she wrote, “rather want to open everyone’s eyes up of how cruel and cold-hearted this world is. What would happen if I hadn’t found him or what if I just left him in emergency without following up. Just heartbroken. One of the biggest reasons I’m choosing to be in medical care is to change the way health care workers treat patients. I may have little chance of changing it but little chance is better then no chance and I encourage every single medical care professional to stand by me as this should be our number one target and goal.”
Thankfully, Sid is recovering well in hospital and is working towards being admitted into a long-term care home.
Do you know a member of the community going above and beyond for those in need?
Send us an email at news@kelownanow.com with their story!
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