Tuesday January 1, 2013

With all the tragedy our country has seen recently, I wanted to share a good deed.

For 21 months, Mom was in a nursing home in North Adams for rehabilitation. During that time North Adams Ambulance Service transported her three days a week to Pittsfield for dialysis. Many of the EMTs became friends and the sarcastic banter between them made a normally unpleasant routine much more bearable.

Three months ago, Mom was transferred to another rehab facility in Great Barrington. Many tears were shed on her last ride with the North Adams crew. Then the holidays came. We wanted Mom home for Christmas if only for a few hours. Another company gave us their price for the transport home, but there was still the obstacle of getting her in the house without a ramp. Mom and I used Facebook to ask friends to spare a few minutes of their holiday and lend a hand. That's when Mom got the greatest gift of all. John Meaney, Jr. general manager of NAAS, replied to her post, "The NAAS crew will make this happen! Merry Christmas!"

On Christmas morning just before 11 a.m., the ambulance carrying Mom was backing up our driveway. Aaron Goodell and A.J. Clermont carried her up the stairs and transferred her twice inside the apartment. John joined A.J. and Mom for the return trip back to Great Barrington later that day. The love, respect, thoughtfulness and same old banter was still there.

These three amazing men made a dream come true and no words

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can thank them enough for that. They made sure Mom got home safe and asked for nothing in return. It just goes to prove there are angels out there among us. I know, because I met three of them Christmas morning. MIMI J. MATHES

Pittsfield