A woman is being called an ‘angel’ in Buffalo, New York, after she rescued a mentally-disabled man who was yelling for help during last week’s historic snowstorm.
The blizzard hit many parts of the country during the holiday and took the lives of at least 64 people.
Sha’Kyra Aughtry, a mother of three, was at her home when she heard a man screaming for help on December 24.
Aughtry and her partner Trent saw Joey ‘Joe’ White, a 64-year-old man who works at a local movie theater, trapped in a snow bank and suffering from severe frostbite.
The elderly man was covered in snow and was “so frozen they had to cut his socks off, use a hairdryer to dry his pants that were frozen to his legs, and cut the straps of a Wegmans bag from his hands.”
They also used large clippers to cut a ring off White’s finger, which was already swollen and turning purple.
The 64-year-old suffered fourth-degree burns and is now receiving treatment but he would’ve died had Aughtry and Trent not helped him out.
The incident quickly went viral after blogger Kimberly LaRussa posted the story and pictures online.
White’s sister, Yvonne, told The Buffalo News: “I just got off the phone with him. He seems extremely weak. We’re hoping and praying this will work out for the best.”
Chris Dearing, a friend of White, set up a GoFundMe page and it has raised more than $60,000.
“During the December blizzard of 2022, my friend and North Park employee of ~40 years Joe White suffered severe frostbite on his hands,” the page reads.
“Joe is mentally disabled, and he did not understand the true severity of the storm.
“Disoriented and crying out for help, he miraculously found himself at the doorstep of Sha’Kyra Rain Aughtry—a total stranger—who put her Christmas plans aside and tended to his wounds the best she could.”
Many people called Aughtry a ‘true angel,’ with one person commenting: “This is what Christmas is about. Selfless acts not how many presents you get or their cost.”
Another wrote: “Aughtry + Trent deserve a medal. What a lovely, kind thing to do and have saved this mans life. Beautiful people.”
A third said: “Angels do walk among us everyday. This woman and her family saved this man’s life and it will have a profound affect on them everyday going forward. What a great lesson of kindness for her to teach her children.”
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