What began as a routine day for a Mercy Carthage ambulance crew turned into a heartwarming story of how a little kindness can make a big impact on someone having a difficult day.
Nelson Daniels and Austin Presley happened to be working the day that Virginia Wood‘s husband was transferred home from the hospital. When they arrived they were met by the sight of Wood gathering trash that had been scattered by animals in the yard. Once they helped settle her husband in the house and get him comfortable they finished picking up the trash on their way back down the long driveway.
“I enjoy helping people and being more useful on the scene. I like interacting with the patients and their families. She was a very nice lady and she and her husband were by themselves,” said Daniels. “She was a very sweet person.”
“I’m so very grateful. They went above and beyond what was necessary,” Wood said. Sadly, Wood’s husband died the following Monday.
Daniels, with 20 years of experience, has served as both a paramedic and an EMT. He has been with Mercy for two years.
Presley, who started out as an EMT at Silver Dollar City, has been with Mercy for three and a half years.
“I felt like a had a knack for helping and being in the medical field. I’ve always enjoyed being around people,” Presley said when asked why he became an EMT.
This simple act of kindness earned them a Mercy Cross, which is given for going above and beyond expected Mercy values. There have been a total of four crosses awarded since it was created in 2013.
