Editor:
I was walking home from Brentwood along the south side of Lougheed Highway towards HoldomÌýjust after 5 p.m., when I lost my balance on the uneven sidewalk and fell, tripping over one of the concrete barriers laid alongside the sidewalk.
I hit the back of my head, probably against the barrier and received quite a gash, which bled profusely.ÌýThere were no other pedestrians, and I was quite confused and did not know what to do.
Though confused, I tried to get up. But less than a few minutes later, two young men stopped their truck and came over to help me get up.
One gave me a stack of paper to stop the bleeding, while the other called 911. My shock was great when I noticed how much blood there was. But then another car stopped and a lady jumped out, came up to me and said, "This is my job."
Then she just compressed my wound for the next 10 minutes or so until the bleeding stopped. By then, another lady from the worksite nearby had also come with her first aid kit.Ìý
Very soon, the ambulance arrived and the first aid ladies passed me on to the paramedics, who took me into Burnaby Hospital for emergency treatment.Ìý
I receivedÌýfour stitches to the back of my scalp from Dr. Chow, whose professionalism and care despite the hectic pace at the ER were really impressive. I was just a bit dismayed because I had had my haircut only the day before.
But joking aside, I was really impressed - by the way Canadians help their fellow human beings in need. It was rush hour and the two guys were probably heading home for some well-earned rest or a home-cooked meal. Yet they stopped and stayed on until they saw that I was in the good hands of the two lady first aiders. I had to urge them to go.
The first aid ladies were tremendous, especially Janice (who goes by the name of Gigi). She had probably just finished her shift in a nearby building site, and instead of rushing on home, she stopped her car and worked to compress my wound. Without her help, I would have probably bled much more and got more complications, since I am diabetic.Ìý
My thanks are due to one and all who dropped whatever they were doing to help someone who fell on the road, and stayed on to make sure that this someone in need was passed onto good hands. Good Samaritans, all. And I am writing not just to thank them, but to tell Canadians that they are living in a hell of a friendly country, where neighbours behave like neighbours. Makes you want to sing "O Canada" right now.
Ray Hon Lau, Burnaby
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