Did you call 911?' Here's how one man reached out to his rescuers [View all]
no names were exchanged that day in Hollywood.
The woman who came to the aid of a man in distress did not know him, nor did she know the other two women who offered support. When paramedics arrived and raced the man to the hospital, the street was cleared and the women returned to their routines not knowing if the man would live to see another day.
A few weeks later, a sign was posted to a tree at the intersection where the drama had played out.
"Did you call 911 last March 17?" it said. "You saved my life. Please call me."
The sign included a name, Leon, and a phone number. A colleague alerted me to the sign and I called several times. No answer.
The sign on the tree
Then one day Leon picked up. He is 71, a retired judge who preferred that I not use his last name.
He told me the story, or at least what he knew of it.
He was taking his car in for servicing that day, a day like any other, when he got hammered by a sudden, massive heart attack. He did not recall any warning signs, didn't know where it had happened or how he stopped his car. It was all a blank.
He learned from Los Angeles Fire Department records that someone had called 911 from the intersection of McCadden Place and Waring Avenue, not far from where he lives, and had begun CPR. So after five days in the hospital and more time in outpatient recovery, Leon drove to the intersection, posted his sign and began knocking on doors. He was grateful he hadn’t hurt anybody and was determined to give thanks.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-0529-lopez-samaritan-20160525-snap-story.html
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