Article Courtesy of FOX 35
News
By Mariah Harrison
Published July 12, 2018
|
HUDSON - Pasco County first responders stepped out of their daily duties to help
a local family finish their landscaping at a time when they needed it.
Melissa and Gene Work were threatened
with a large fine from their homeowners association if they
didn’t lay new sod in their front yard by a certain
deadline, according to the family.
On Saturday, Gene was laying the sod in their front yard
when he started showing symptoms of a heart attack. His
wife, Melissa, quickly called for help, but Gene seemed to
be solely concerned with finishing the landscaping before
the sod died, and avoiding the HOA fine.
"He kept begging me to figure out the sod and have it put
down because he didn't want it to go to waste and die,"
Melissa wrote in a Facebook post. "It's ALL he kept asking
about literally during a massive heart attack. LOL. I calmed
him and kept saying 'Jesus will help us. It's ok. Jesus will
figure this out babe.'"
|
|
|
Gene continued worrying about the sod on the way to the
hospital, and the emergency workers treating him took notice. He was working
with his brother at the time of his heart attack, so his brother stayed
behind to watch their daughter and finish the landscaping job. But it was a
feat that would have taken him hours.
To his surprise, the emergency crew that had left earlier with his brother
in an ambulance returned to help finish the job that Gene had started.
"She showed me the picture and said, 'You'll never believe it' and I just
started bawling, crying. I couldn't believe that," Gene said. "I didn't
think I just had a heart attack. I was just so grateful these first
responders would come back and do that."
Pasco County Fire and Rescue shared Melissa's story on their Facebook page
writing, “We believe in helping the community whenever we are needed.” Even
if that includes a little landscaping.
Melissa shared images onto her Facebook page showing the firefighters from
Station 10 going above and beyond. She said the first responders didn't know
her family would be fined by HOA. She said they also didn't know that she
would be undergoing a bone marrow transplant next month.
"They simply saw someone in need, something in need and did this for us.
This wasn't in their job description," Melissa wrote. "We have no words.
Just sobbing."
|