Good News Fridays: People Helping Others During The Snowstorm

By Nathan Young on January 31, 2014

This post is a pat on the back to everyone who helped others during that winter storm. No matter if it was helping to move other people’s cars, or serving food and drinks to others stuck in the snow, or giving stranded drivers a place to stay for the night, or giving a ride to others who needed it, or even seeing doctors hiking for several miles in the snow to perform surgery. Just about everybody gave something in return to others to get through this tough winter storm, and you deserve a pat on the back! (give yourself one now)

I wanted to share some of the best stories from the massive snowstorm that hit in Alabama. This first story has gone viral and has gotten national attention. Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw was at Brookwood Hospital when the snowstorm hit. He saw CT scans from a dying patient on his cell phone, and he knew he had to get to Trinity Medical Center. The problem, the hospital was six miles away, and with all the roads iced over, the doctor had to walk. The journey included stops to help push stranded motorists stuck in the roadway and a stop to sit in an ambulance to warm up. The patient survived the surgery and will fully recover, thank you Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw!

The Chick-fil-A on Highway 280 had a major problem when the snowstorm hit. The restaurant closed and sent their employees home, but as you know, 280 traffic is always horrible. And soon, some employees came back because they could not get home. The stranded employees that had returned to the restaurant cooked several hundred sandwiches and stood out on both sides of Highway 280 and handed out the sandwiches to anyone they could get to, for free! The restaurant allowed stranded drivers to stay inside to be warm. And on the next morning, the restaurant served chicken biscuits to the stranded drivers, also for free! Thank you Chick-fil-A for the great service!

Chick-fil-a owner hands out food to stranded Birmingham drivers – http://t.co/yFIABqgEdw
(photo: Lauren Dango) pic.twitter.com/cGKCtNgl8D

— WAFF 48 (@waff48) January 30, 2014

I also wanted to commend the teachers and staff who work at schools and had to stay overnight with kids who could not get home. The teachers and staff, which some could not get home themselves due to the bad weather, kept the kids entertained, fed the kids from the lunchroom, and watched over the kids while they slept. All the kids who were stranded at school returned home the next day, and thanks to the police and volunteers for taking those kids home, on still icy roads!

One good thing about living in the south is people will help one another during times of crisis. Everyone should be proud for helping one another. There are many, many stories coming from people who helped others, for the ones who sacrificed time and money to make sure others were safe and out of harms way, thank you!