By Dan Peccorini (taken with permission from a Facebook post)
Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, Sonoma Valley area
Today I was sent to check on a person who used her life alert necklace to see if worked during / after earthquakes. Well after explaining to her it did work because I was sent to check on her, this took a lot of explaining because she was elderly. After a long time, she thanked me and I was exhausted from trying to explain technology. .
Well as I talked with her, I was contacted by her older neighbor. The neighbor asked me to come to her home next to help her. She did not tell me the problem and I was afraid to ask. I was in a retirement area and I began to think I would never get out.
As I walked to her door, I reminded myself this person is some ones loved one.
She was very frail and dressed in her robe. She told me how upset she was, but how happy she was to now see me outside her home because she did not know what to do. I asked how could I help her and she pointed to her microwave oven. She uses it to cook/heat most of her meals.Because of the earthquake she lost power and could not get it to work.
She asked me if I owned a microwave oven and if I could help. I told her I had the same model. (not really) I found her microwave would not allow her to operate it until the time was set. I set the time and it began to work.
Her eyes began to tear and she hugged me like I found the cure for cancer. We made small talk for a few minutes as I fixed another oven clock.
Before I left, she told me how thankful she was to have me show up outside her home She hugged me again and told me to stop by if I ever needed something from her.
It not very often someone is happy to see me but it makes my day when it does happen.
Thank you unknown women
Kevin Young, a retired Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy added his thoughts:
Great story!!! I remember when the Anthrax scare was going on after 9/11. I was sent to an elderly lady’s house to check on a suspicious piece of mail she had received from Florida. Whatever was inside the envelope made a funny noise when she shook it and she was sure she didn’t know anyone in Florida. Knowing it wasn’t Anthrax, I told her it would be safe for us to open it under running water. I opened the envelope to find a Saint Christopher medallion and chain. She took the medallion and placed it around my neck… I still wear it today.
