Editor:
I imagine most folks who live on the Sunshine Coast have thought at one time or another, “I’m living in heaven!” We wish to report a firsthand encounter with a whole host of angels on Friday, Sept. 23.
Returning from a leisurely road trip to Powell River, our car went out of control on the winding road south of Madeira Park and we found ourselves tipped into a ditch, in shock, with unknown injuries and unable to exit the vehicle. We had hardly collected our awareness before the angels started descending.
From the off-duty paramedic who immediately attended us and stayed with us throughout, offering calm, expert advice and considerate updates about the progress of our rescue, to the reassuring comments from a man who offered to be a witness, to the woman who jumped in to direct traffic, to the respectful, coordinated consultation between fire department members and medics to confirm and swiftly execute a plan for our extraction, to the ambulance medics who expertly attended us with reassuring humour, and to the ER staff who, with a full ward, thoroughly and efficiently screened us before declaring us good to go – to all of you, we send our deepest appreciation and gratitude. And to others who stepped out of the flow of their day simply to show concern and offer support, our thanks.
I have heard that immediate caring attention can significantly mitigate the trauma of such events, and I believe it. Shaken though we were, we couldn’t help but feel the wonderment of human decency, compassion, good humour and capacity manifesting in its fullest, all around us. Heaven on earth!
Liz Neil, Naya Kee, Ralph Westara, Gibsons
