Multi-National Force - Iraq Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala,, USAF
Army Sgt. Jennifer Watson, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Casualty Liaison Team at Joint Base Balad, stands in Hero's Highway. Each patient brought via helicopter to the Air Force Theater Hospital passes through Hero's Highway. Watson, a native of Peru, Ind., is deployed here from Fort Campbell, Ky. Photo by Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing.JOINT BASE BALAD — The emergency-room trauma call and the medical staff's immediate action upon his arrival is only a memory to her now; sitting quietly at the bedside of her brother-in-arms, she carefully takes his hand, thanking him for his service and promising she will not leave his side.
He is a critically injured combat casualty, and she is Army Sgt. Jennifer Watson of the Casualty Liaison Team here.
Although a somber scene, it is not an uncommon one for the Peru, Ind., native, who in addition to her primary duties throughout the last 14 months, has taken it upon herself to ensure no U.S. casualty passes away alone. Holding each of their hands, she sits with them until the end, no matter the day or the hour.
"It's unfortunate that their families can't be here," said Watson, who is deployed here from Fort Campbell, Ky. "So I took it upon myself to step up and be that family while they are here. No one asked me to do it; I just did what I felt was right in my heart. I want them to know they are heroes.
"I feel just because they are passing away does not mean they cannot hear and feel someone around them," she continued. "I talk to them, thanking them for what they have done, telling them they are a hero, they will never be forgotten, and I explain my job to them to help them be at ease knowing the family will be told the truth."
In general, Watson explains to the patients that the CLT works within the Patient Administrative Department here, acting as a liaison for all military and civilian patients in-theater and initiating the casualty-notification process to the patient's next-of-kin.
Upon their arrival at the Air Force Theater Hospital, Watson speaks with each combat casualty getting as accurate information as possible about the incident. Once the doctor gives their diagnosis and severity of the patient's injuries, Watson and her team complete and send a Defense Casualty Information Processing System folder report to the Department of the Army or the patient's respective service so that their next-of-kin can be notified.
"I make sure we tell their family everything they want to know, so they know everything that's going on," said Watson. "[Through the report], we'll tell the families everything that is going on with their family member ... so that they don't have any questions."
Furthermore, once the initial report has been sent, the CLT and Watson make hourly rounds to the intensive-care ward or unit to check on the patient's well-being, or, for the more critical patients, to check on their stability.
"We are constantly communicating and making sure the family knows everything we know," said Watson. "We want to put the families at ease and let them know that everything is being done for their loved one. From the moment a servicemember is brought in through Hero's Highway, they are never alone."
Each month, the AFTH, the equivalent of a U.S. Level-1 trauma center, treats more than 539 patients; more than 101 are trauma cases in the emergency department. Although Watson can never predict if and when her fellow brothers- or sisters- in arms may need her, she is always available here.
"The hospital staff is wonderful," said Watson. "They know how important it is for me to be there with them and if they know it's time, someone will come and get me no matter where I'm at.
"I see it as a form of closure, not just for me, but for the families so that they know that somebody was there with their son or daughter," she added. "My heart goes out to every patient that comes into the hospital, especially my wounded in action Soldiers. I feel like everyone who comes through the door is my brother or sister."
Not surprisingly, Watson's dedication to duty and her hard work have not gone unnoticed. She has touched the lives of all those who she has come in contact with, to include the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group commander, Col. Mark Mavity.
"Sgt. Watson's story is one of the most compelling here in the Med Group," said Mavity. "She is a Soldier's Soldier who combines an unparalleled level of compassion and commitment to our most grievously wounded warriors with amazing professionalism each and every day.
"What is truly incredible is that she is a personnelist by training but with the heart of a medic who has taken it upon herself to hold the hand and keep a bedside vigil with every mortally wounded Soldier who has spent their last hours within the AFTH," continued the colonel. "She will not let her brave brothers or sisters pass alone. This is a heavy burden to bear and at great personal emotional cost to Sgt. Watson, but she is unwavering in her final commitment to these Soldiers. You don't have to look any further than Sgt. Watson to find a true hero."
"Angel" and "hero" are only two of the many titles Watson has been given since arriving at JBB; although she is appreciative of the kind words, she remains humble.
"I am far from an angel," said the sergeant with a smile. "I just do what is in my heart. I guess for me, I think about the family and the closure of knowing the Soldier did not pass away alone. To say I'm a hero ... no. The heroes are my guys who come in [through Hero's Highway]."
Reflecting on her time here, Watson said she is extremely thankful for the opportunity she has had to work side-by-side with the Air Force.
"The staff of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group has done an amazing job since I have been here," she said. "They are incredible. They have done procedures and saved the lives of the most critically injured Soldiers, and have been some of the most professional people I have ever worked with.
"I want the families to know that their servicemember was a hero," Watson concluded. "They made the ultimate sacrifice, but before they passed on, they received the best medical treatment, and the staff did everything they could -- they were not in pain and they didn't die alone."
(By Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Kuddly Kudos to.....
"Miami Banker gives $60 Million
of his own money to Employees"
Another bit of Good News that you didn't read in the "Lame Stream Media".
I'm old enough to remember Anne Murrays song "Sure could use a little good news today" and I am going to try to post more articles like this more often. "Just once how I'd like to see the headline say......"
Leonard Abess just gave away $60 million to his employees after selling the bank to a Spanish bank. The bonuses came to tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is Leonard Abess, CEO in the lobby of the bank.
Lots of bosses say they value their employees. Some even mean it.
And then there's Leonard Abess Jr.
After selling a majority stake in Miami-based City National Bancshares last November, all he did was take $60 million of the proceeds -- $60 million out of his own pocket -- and hand it to his tellers, bookkeepers, clerks, everyone on the payroll. All 399 workers on the staff received bonuses, and he even tracked down 72 former employees so they could share in the windfall.
For longtime employees, the bonus -- based on years of service -- amounted to tens of thousands of dollars, and in some cases, more than $100,000.
At a time when financial titans are being paraded before Congress to explain how they blew billions on executives' bonuses even as they received a taxpayer bailout, the big-hearted banker's selfless deed stands out.
''I retired seven years ago, and all of a sudden I get this wonderful letter and phone call,'' said Evelyn J. Budde, who spent 43 years at City National Bank of Florida, rising to vice president.
''I was shocked,'' said William Perry. In 43 ½ years at City National, he climbed from janitor to vice president. Like many longtime City National employees, he forged an unbreakable bond with the bank that continued into retirement. Perry returns regularly for the annual employees' dinner.
Abess didn't publicize what he had done. He didn't even show up at the bank to bask in his employees' gratitude on the day the bonus envelopes were distributed. He was inundated with letters soon afterward.
Asked later what motivated him, Abess said he had long dreamed of a way to reward employees. He had been thinking of creating an employee stock option plan before he decided to sell the bank.
''Those people who joined me and stayed with me at the bank with no promise of equity -- I always thought some day I'm going to surprise them,'' he said. ``I sure as heck don't need [the money].''
SPANISH BUYER
In exchange for an 83 percent stake in the business, the Spanish bank Caja Madrid paid $927 million in November. Abess retained a minority share and is still the board chairman and chief executive officer at City National.
Even before the sale, Abess wasn't hurting for money. He bought his 11.8-acre, $23 million estate in Miami's Cliff Hammocks neighborhood from actor Sylvester Stallone in 1999.
Abess' father, Leonard L. Abess, founded City National in 1946 with Baron de Hirsch Meyer as one of the first postwar commercial banks in the region. Abess Jr. started his career in the bank's print shop, which made forms and documents. Working his way up the ladder gave him an appreciation for the role that employees play in the success of an enterprise.
''I saw that if the president doesn't come to work, it's not a big deal,'' he said. ``But if the tellers don't show up, it's a serious problem.''
Many people presume that Abess inherited the bank from his father, but he didn't.
In fact, in true Miami fashion, the bank has a colorful history. City National was sold in the early 1980s to an investment group that, in turn, resold it to Colombian coffee magnate Alberto Duque.
The dapper and charming Duque was the toast of Miami -- until he was convicted of bilking two dozen Miami banks out of about $108 million in connection with his coffee business.
Duque went to federal prison -- he eventually fled the country from a halfway house -- and City National went on the block in bankruptcy court.
Cross Posted at Conservative Women For Truth
I'm old enough to remember Anne Murrays song "Sure could use a little good news today" and I am going to try to post more articles like this more often. "Just once how I'd like to see the headline say......"
"Not much to print today, can't find nothin' bad to say", becauseFrom MiamiHerald
Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD'ed,
Nobody burned a single buildin' down
Nobody fired a shot in anger, nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today
...LeoLyrics.com
Leonard Abess just gave away $60 million to his employees after selling the bank to a Spanish bank. The bonuses came to tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is Leonard Abess, CEO in the lobby of the bank.
Lots of bosses say they value their employees. Some even mean it.
And then there's Leonard Abess Jr.
After selling a majority stake in Miami-based City National Bancshares last November, all he did was take $60 million of the proceeds -- $60 million out of his own pocket -- and hand it to his tellers, bookkeepers, clerks, everyone on the payroll. All 399 workers on the staff received bonuses, and he even tracked down 72 former employees so they could share in the windfall.
For longtime employees, the bonus -- based on years of service -- amounted to tens of thousands of dollars, and in some cases, more than $100,000.
At a time when financial titans are being paraded before Congress to explain how they blew billions on executives' bonuses even as they received a taxpayer bailout, the big-hearted banker's selfless deed stands out.
''I retired seven years ago, and all of a sudden I get this wonderful letter and phone call,'' said Evelyn J. Budde, who spent 43 years at City National Bank of Florida, rising to vice president.
''I was shocked,'' said William Perry. In 43 ½ years at City National, he climbed from janitor to vice president. Like many longtime City National employees, he forged an unbreakable bond with the bank that continued into retirement. Perry returns regularly for the annual employees' dinner.
Abess didn't publicize what he had done. He didn't even show up at the bank to bask in his employees' gratitude on the day the bonus envelopes were distributed. He was inundated with letters soon afterward.
Asked later what motivated him, Abess said he had long dreamed of a way to reward employees. He had been thinking of creating an employee stock option plan before he decided to sell the bank.
''Those people who joined me and stayed with me at the bank with no promise of equity -- I always thought some day I'm going to surprise them,'' he said. ``I sure as heck don't need [the money].''
SPANISH BUYER
In exchange for an 83 percent stake in the business, the Spanish bank Caja Madrid paid $927 million in November. Abess retained a minority share and is still the board chairman and chief executive officer at City National.
Even before the sale, Abess wasn't hurting for money. He bought his 11.8-acre, $23 million estate in Miami's Cliff Hammocks neighborhood from actor Sylvester Stallone in 1999.
Abess' father, Leonard L. Abess, founded City National in 1946 with Baron de Hirsch Meyer as one of the first postwar commercial banks in the region. Abess Jr. started his career in the bank's print shop, which made forms and documents. Working his way up the ladder gave him an appreciation for the role that employees play in the success of an enterprise.
''I saw that if the president doesn't come to work, it's not a big deal,'' he said. ``But if the tellers don't show up, it's a serious problem.''
Many people presume that Abess inherited the bank from his father, but he didn't.
In fact, in true Miami fashion, the bank has a colorful history. City National was sold in the early 1980s to an investment group that, in turn, resold it to Colombian coffee magnate Alberto Duque.
The dapper and charming Duque was the toast of Miami -- until he was convicted of bilking two dozen Miami banks out of about $108 million in connection with his coffee business.
Duque went to federal prison -- he eventually fled the country from a halfway house -- and City National went on the block in bankruptcy court.
Cross Posted at Conservative Women For Truth
Friday, January 16, 2009
Angel Wings - Hudson River hero is ex-Air Force fighter pilot
There is not doubt in my mind that his pilot had an Angel on his shoulder with wings and a prayer.
Sully Sullenberger III is being touted as duly deserved by his fellow pilots and Proud NY Governor and Mayor as a great American Hero;
Fellow pilot Freeman: “There’s not many pilots who could have brought that plane down with no injuries. It was a perfectly controlled maneuver. That pilot is a hero.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson heaped praise on the rescue effort."They train for these kinds of emergencies, and you saw it in action," Bloomberg said. "Because of their fast brave work, we think that contributed to the fact that it looks like everybody is safe."
Paterson said it was a miracle.
"I think that in simplicity, this is really a potential tragedy that may have become one of the most spectacular days in the history of New York City's agencies," he said.
NEW YORK — AJC
The pilot who guided a crippled US Airways jetliner safely into the Hudson River — saving all 155 people aboard — became an instant hero Thursday, with accolades from the mayor and governor and a fan club online.
The pilot of Flight 1549 was Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, 57, of Danville, Calif., an official familiar with the accident told The Associated Press. Sullenberger is a former fighter pilot who runs a safety consulting firm in addition to flying commercial aircraft.
Sullenberger, who has flown for US Airways since 1980, flew F-4 fighter jets with the Air Force in the 1970s. He then served on a board that investigated aircraft accidents and participated later in several National Transportation Safety Board investigations.
Sullenberger had been studying the psychology of keeping airline crews functioning even in the face of crisis, said Robert Bea, a civil engineer who co-founded UC Berkeley's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management.
Bea said he could think of few pilots as well-situated to bring the plane down safely than Sullenberger.
"When a plane is getting ready to crash with a lot of people who trust you, it is a test.. Sulley proved the end of the road for that test. He had studied it, he had rehearsed it, he had taken it to his heart."
Sullenberger is president of Safety Reliability Methods, a California firm that uses "the ultra-safe world of commercial aviation" as a basis for safety consulting in other fields, according to the firm's Web site.
Sullenberger's mailbox at the firm was full on Thursday. A group of fans sprang up on Facebook within hours of the emergency landing.
"OMG, I am terrified of flying but I would be happy to be a passenger on one of your aircraft!!" Melanie Wills in Bristol wrote on the wall of "Fans of Sully Sullenberger." "You have saved a lot of peoples lives and are a true hero!!"
The pilot "did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river and then making sure that everybody got out," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "He walked the plane twice after everybody else was off, and tried to verify that there was nobody else on board, and he assures us there was not."
"He was the last one up the aisle and he made sure that there was nobody behind him."
Gov. David Paterson pronounced it a "miracle on the Hudson."
A woman who answered the phone at Sullenberger's home in Danville hung up on a reporter who asked to speak with the family.
Candace Anderson, a member of the Danville town council who lives a few blocks from Sullenberger, said it was an amazing story and she was proud to live in the same town as the pilot.
"You look at his training, you look at his experience. It was just the right pilot at the right time in charge of that plane that saved so many lives," Anderson said. "He is a man who is calm, cool, collected, just as he was today."
Sullenberger's co-pilot was Jeff Skiles, 49, of Oregon, Wis., a 23-year US Airways veteran.
"He was OK," said his wife, Barbara. "He was relieved that everybody got off."
Sully Sullenberger III is being touted as duly deserved by his fellow pilots and Proud NY Governor and Mayor as a great American Hero;
Fellow pilot Freeman: “There’s not many pilots who could have brought that plane down with no injuries. It was a perfectly controlled maneuver. That pilot is a hero.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson heaped praise on the rescue effort."They train for these kinds of emergencies, and you saw it in action," Bloomberg said. "Because of their fast brave work, we think that contributed to the fact that it looks like everybody is safe."
Paterson said it was a miracle.
"I think that in simplicity, this is really a potential tragedy that may have become one of the most spectacular days in the history of New York City's agencies," he said.
NEW YORK — AJC
The pilot who guided a crippled US Airways jetliner safely into the Hudson River — saving all 155 people aboard — became an instant hero Thursday, with accolades from the mayor and governor and a fan club online.
The pilot of Flight 1549 was Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, 57, of Danville, Calif., an official familiar with the accident told The Associated Press. Sullenberger is a former fighter pilot who runs a safety consulting firm in addition to flying commercial aircraft.
Sullenberger, who has flown for US Airways since 1980, flew F-4 fighter jets with the Air Force in the 1970s. He then served on a board that investigated aircraft accidents and participated later in several National Transportation Safety Board investigations.
Sullenberger had been studying the psychology of keeping airline crews functioning even in the face of crisis, said Robert Bea, a civil engineer who co-founded UC Berkeley's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management.
Bea said he could think of few pilots as well-situated to bring the plane down safely than Sullenberger.
"When a plane is getting ready to crash with a lot of people who trust you, it is a test.. Sulley proved the end of the road for that test. He had studied it, he had rehearsed it, he had taken it to his heart."
Sullenberger is president of Safety Reliability Methods, a California firm that uses "the ultra-safe world of commercial aviation" as a basis for safety consulting in other fields, according to the firm's Web site.
Sullenberger's mailbox at the firm was full on Thursday. A group of fans sprang up on Facebook within hours of the emergency landing.
"OMG, I am terrified of flying but I would be happy to be a passenger on one of your aircraft!!" Melanie Wills in Bristol wrote on the wall of "Fans of Sully Sullenberger." "You have saved a lot of peoples lives and are a true hero!!"
The pilot "did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river and then making sure that everybody got out," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "He walked the plane twice after everybody else was off, and tried to verify that there was nobody else on board, and he assures us there was not."
"He was the last one up the aisle and he made sure that there was nobody behind him."
Gov. David Paterson pronounced it a "miracle on the Hudson."
A woman who answered the phone at Sullenberger's home in Danville hung up on a reporter who asked to speak with the family.
Candace Anderson, a member of the Danville town council who lives a few blocks from Sullenberger, said it was an amazing story and she was proud to live in the same town as the pilot.
"You look at his training, you look at his experience. It was just the right pilot at the right time in charge of that plane that saved so many lives," Anderson said. "He is a man who is calm, cool, collected, just as he was today."
Sullenberger's co-pilot was Jeff Skiles, 49, of Oregon, Wis., a 23-year US Airways veteran.
"He was OK," said his wife, Barbara. "He was relieved that everybody got off."
Sunday, December 28, 2008
It's a wonderful bat bag
By KEITH SHARON - The Orange County Register
Left to right, Alicia Brown, 12, of
Glendora thanks Natalie McIntosh owner of
Notorious Sports in Placentia,
Dad sat at the kitchen counter, looking into his laptop, tears streaming down his face.
He glanced quickly around the room, hoping his daughter wasn't there to see. .
William Brown wiped his eyes.
"Alicia!" he called, trying to regain his fatherly composure. "Alicia, come here! You've got to see this!"
When Alicia Brown, 12, walked into the kitchen on that early December night, she was a kid with a less than optimistic view of the world.
And, she had never seen her dad cry.
She had seen him emotional – angry, to be specific. Like the time, just a few days before, when someone stole her softball equipment bag from a tournament in Laguna Niguel – the incident that triggered this story. He was so mad he was speechless, a state that, when you meet William Brown, you quickly learn is rare.
It's safe to say that what was written on that computer screen – the confluence of a missing bag, a wild website, friendly rivals and an amazing turn-of-events – will not soon be forgotten in the Brown family.
And by the time you're finished reading this story, it will also be safe to draw two conclusions:
Read the Rest HERE
Left to right, Alicia Brown, 12, of
Glendora thanks Natalie McIntosh owner of
Notorious Sports in Placentia,
Dad sat at the kitchen counter, looking into his laptop, tears streaming down his face.
He glanced quickly around the room, hoping his daughter wasn't there to see. .
William Brown wiped his eyes.
"Alicia!" he called, trying to regain his fatherly composure. "Alicia, come here! You've got to see this!"
When Alicia Brown, 12, walked into the kitchen on that early December night, she was a kid with a less than optimistic view of the world.
And, she had never seen her dad cry.
She had seen him emotional – angry, to be specific. Like the time, just a few days before, when someone stole her softball equipment bag from a tournament in Laguna Niguel – the incident that triggered this story. He was so mad he was speechless, a state that, when you meet William Brown, you quickly learn is rare.
It's safe to say that what was written on that computer screen – the confluence of a missing bag, a wild website, friendly rivals and an amazing turn-of-events – will not soon be forgotten in the Brown family.
And by the time you're finished reading this story, it will also be safe to draw two conclusions:
Read the Rest HERE
Guardian Angel - Stray Pit Bull Saves Woman, Child from Attacker
From ZooToo.com PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. --
The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her "guardian angel."
The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon.
The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as "Angela," was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements. Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled. "I don't think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman,"
Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse.
"I don't know what this man's intentions were, but it is very possible this dog saved her life."
The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend Read the rest HERE
A dog came out of nowhere and stopped a knife-wielding
robber from accosting a mother and her young son on
Monday afternoon. (Pet Pulse Illustration by Tim Mattson)
The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her "guardian angel."
The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon.
The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as "Angela," was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements. Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled. "I don't think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman,"
Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse.
"I don't know what this man's intentions were, but it is very possible this dog saved her life."
The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend Read the rest HERE
The girl who died on the freeway was born to help
From OCRegister.com - TRABUCO CANYON
Sometimes, the Campbell family says, God gives a little wink, a small reminder that there is a higher power.
And the Campbells say they got such a sign Sunday morning, hours before their lives would change forever.
It was a family day, with all four kids finally home, and parents Craig and Doreen couldn't have been happier. On the way to mass, Cody Campbell, 23, asked his mother what God would want if they saw an accident on the way to church. Would He want them to stop and help, or go to church? Of course, Doreen Campbell said, God would want them to stop and help. Hours later, the question wasn't so hypothetical.
A badly injured 16-year-old girl lay in the middle of the Santa Ana 5 freeway, near Red Hill Avenue, the victim of a car accident. And Cody's 20-year-old sister, Kaydee, and her boyfriend Mikey Valadez were driving north, on their way to visit his parents in Pasadena. No one would have blamed them for passing by. Other people did.
But, of course, they didn't. Kaydee, a nursing student who was home in Orange County for the holidays, made Mikey stop. The daughter of an Orange County Fire Authority Captain and a nurse, Kaydee needed to help.
In the pouring rain and cold, Kaydee got out in the freeway and tried to stop the girl's bleeding. Mikey went to the back of his black BMW to look for a towel.
A 1992 black Toyota 4-Runner headed toward them. Takayuki Saito, 41, was behind the wheel and, according to authorities, he had been drinking. The 4-Runner plowed into the back of the BMW, pushing it into Kaydee and the 16-year-old she was trying to help.
Mikey ran to Kaydee.
"There was just this glow," he said. "I fell to my knees and prayed."
Mikey didn't see any blood. He didn't see any pain. All he saw was Kaydee's face. And, he says, she looked happy.
"It was like God went whoosh and picked her up."
At 11:34 p.m. – the exact time she entered the world — Kaydee left it. Read the rest HERE
This photo of Kaydee Campbell was taken five hours before her death on Sunday.
The 20-year-old was struck and killed while assisting an accident victim on the 5 Freeway.
Sometimes, the Campbell family says, God gives a little wink, a small reminder that there is a higher power.
And the Campbells say they got such a sign Sunday morning, hours before their lives would change forever.
It was a family day, with all four kids finally home, and parents Craig and Doreen couldn't have been happier. On the way to mass, Cody Campbell, 23, asked his mother what God would want if they saw an accident on the way to church. Would He want them to stop and help, or go to church? Of course, Doreen Campbell said, God would want them to stop and help. Hours later, the question wasn't so hypothetical.
A badly injured 16-year-old girl lay in the middle of the Santa Ana 5 freeway, near Red Hill Avenue, the victim of a car accident. And Cody's 20-year-old sister, Kaydee, and her boyfriend Mikey Valadez were driving north, on their way to visit his parents in Pasadena. No one would have blamed them for passing by. Other people did.
But, of course, they didn't. Kaydee, a nursing student who was home in Orange County for the holidays, made Mikey stop. The daughter of an Orange County Fire Authority Captain and a nurse, Kaydee needed to help.
In the pouring rain and cold, Kaydee got out in the freeway and tried to stop the girl's bleeding. Mikey went to the back of his black BMW to look for a towel.
A 1992 black Toyota 4-Runner headed toward them. Takayuki Saito, 41, was behind the wheel and, according to authorities, he had been drinking. The 4-Runner plowed into the back of the BMW, pushing it into Kaydee and the 16-year-old she was trying to help.
Mikey ran to Kaydee.
"There was just this glow," he said. "I fell to my knees and prayed."
Mikey didn't see any blood. He didn't see any pain. All he saw was Kaydee's face. And, he says, she looked happy.
"It was like God went whoosh and picked her up."
At 11:34 p.m. – the exact time she entered the world — Kaydee left it. Read the rest HERE
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