Retail Associate May Wheaton, the lone employee of the Curlew, WA, Post Office, knows well the rhythms of her tiny community.
That’s why it struck her as peculiar when she recently spotted a pickup truck parked at a store across the street as she raised the U.S. flag at 7:30 in the morning — two hours before the neighboring business was due to open.
Wheaton recognized the vehicle as belonging to a store worker, whom she saw slumped over the steering wheel.
The Postal Service employee rushed to check on the man, whose dog was with him, and found that he was in severe pain and sweating profusely. He said he was having a pancreatic attack and asked if she could drive him to the closest hospital, 30 miles away.
Wheaton replied that she would have to call 911 instead, and as they waited for emergency responders to arrive, she assured him she would care for his dog and secure his vehicle while he received medical treatment.
The man recovered from the incident after spending several days in the hospital.