Tell us something amazing, wonderful, selfless that another person has

[bertha katzenengel]

done for you.

A few years ago, my ankle got infected after surgery. It was bad. If it had been allowed to go further I could've lost my foot.

My beloved Mrs. Venation treated the infection site for weeks, every four hours. She cleaned it and re-bandaged it every four hours round the clock for weeks. As it got better, the schedule changed to every six hours. For more weeks.

Mrs. Venation saved my foot. She lost countless hours of sleep (I could sleep through treatments). She got over her revulsion, I don't know how. She never showed it on her face. I knew that when we married it would be for better & worse, and in sickness & health. She shows me her commitment every day, and she showed her commitment during those horrible weeks.*

Tell us something amazing, wonderful, selfless that someone else has done for you.

* Now, lurking freepers: tell me again how gay people don't commit, aren't serious, just want to have sex, and can't stay together? :eyes:

[zonkers]

1. I was renovating my house, when I had sudden and dire legal and health

problems. My world crashed. Everyone turned their back. My only asset was my house which was torn apart. I told the contractors that I couldn't pay them any more and they'd have to stop. They told me not to worry. They did about twenty thousand dollars of work knowing I could not pay for it. I barely knew these guys. They said don't worry, to take care of them when I could. I almost cried. Well, I rented my fixed-up place out, moved in with friends and faced my troubles. Time past, things got better. Years later, I sold the house and paid them back. They never expected it. We had a beer and a laugh. Never saw them again.

[bertha katzenengel]

2. fantastic

:wow: thanks for posting

[wildhorses]

3. damn.good.story.

:applause:

[redqueen]

36. Wow...

thanks for sharing.

People like this restore my faith in humanity. :)

[mark414]

4. a group of complete strangers treated me and my friend like family

we were riding a train out of LA, and it switched tracks while we were sleeping and stopped in tiny little el centro, CA (about 15 miles north of the mexico border, an hour or so west of the AZ border).

after spending a full day out in the sun on an on-ramp trying to hitchhike to yuma, we slept next to the highway and spent another, almost entire day out there, waiting.

just before the sun went down a beat up white van pulled over, with 4 people inside and said they were going to yuma. we were dirty, hungry, tired, and thirsty, and they gave us some oranges and water, took us to a hot springs along the way so we could get cleaned up, and then told us that we were going to come to their apartment for dinner. there were 7 people living in a 2 bedroom apartment, they cooked the best mexican food i've ever had in my life, the youngest of the group smoked a joint with me and my buddy, and just as we were getting ready to leave, two of them laid out blankets on the floor, laid down, and basically forced us to take the bed that they had given up for us.

the next day they took us a few miles out of our way to get us to the next highway we needed to get to. this was back in january.

best people i've ever met.


edited to fix some ridiculous grammar errors

[lizziegrace]

5. Wow

Just :wow:

:hug:

[redqueen]

37. Wonderful...

Thanks for sharing that. :)

[MiniMandaRuth]

6. One day I was feeling really sad.

Like, really sad... about things going on in the world. The war, poverty, hate, death... the usual.

So my friend and I had a little sit down at lunch in a secluded spot and we talked. And talked. Then I started crying. And rambling about all the things wrong with life. He hugged me and held me until my throat was too raw for me to even breath. Then he looked me straight in the eye and told me in the perfect voice:

"Don't be mad at the world, because if you hate it, who else is going to save it?"

[lizziegrace]

7. Your friend is as special as you

:hug:

There's hope!

[MiniMandaRuth]

8. He's a great guy, and he is very close to my heart.

I love him more than anything in the world. Friend's are the greatest possession one could have. And then every once in a while, a friend like that comes along. I know we'll be good buddies for a long, long time.

[lizziegrace]

12. I hope you will always count him as a friend.

:hug:

[redqueen]

38. Awwwww

We all need a friend like that.

[miss_american_pie]

9. When my first kid was born

I was a wreck physically and emotionally. My mother stayed with us, got the baby every two hours all night, brought him to me to nurse, then stayed up with him if he didn't go back to sleep, did all my housework and cooked, and worked her full-time job.

If I'm half the mother she is, my kids are blessed.

[bertha katzenengel]

18. how lucky you are, Miss Pie

:hug:

[miss_american_pie]

28. I am incredibly lucky

:hug:

[skygazer]

10. Years and years ago - late '70s

I was 18, angry and depressed. Got into a horrible fight with my roommate and stormed out of our apartment. Told her I'd had it, I was ending it all. And I meant it. I was going to go jump off a bridge.

I stopped at one of the local bars for a last beer and there I ran into a good friend of mine. He knew without even asking that something was so terribly wrong with me. He bought me a beer, got a roll of quarters and steered me over to the pinball machine. Got me going on that and just kept plugging in quarter after quarter.

When we were out of quarters, he somehow talked me into his car and drove me to his parents house where he lived. By now it was after midnight. He fed me, showed me card tricks, pointed out his sister's photo on the mantel - she'd just made the Dean's list at college and he was very proud of her - and finally, made a little nest for me on the living room sofa. He sat with me all night while I slept - when I woke up in the morning, he was dozing on the chair.

In the morning, his mom - a really lovely lady - welcomed me and made us both breakfast. By this time, I was over my suicidal impulses and even though nothing in my life had really changed, something in my mind had. Knowing that someone cared enough about me to take care of me. Knowing that there were people like that in the world.


Sad coda to that is that he died two years later in a terrible car accident. He was such a good person and was my very best friend. :(

[mark414]

14. that is a beautiful and tragic story

glad yer still with us

[redqueen]

39. Glad he was there for you...

but sorry for your loss.

:pals:

[sendero]

11. When I was about 11...

... I broke my jaw falling off a bike (yeah, I know - it's embarrassing :)).

I had to wear braces with my mouth wired shut for 6 weeks. I lost several teeth. My family was poor and I have no idea how they paid for the surgery etc.

But, when I went to get my braces removed - the oral surgeon made a lot of small talk. Among things he asked was what I was hoping to get for Christmas. Well, I saw the TV commercials and I had a long list. I rattled off everything I could think of, never giving it a second thought because there was no way I was getting any of it :)

Christmas morning was a real surprise. The surgeon had bought every thing I asked for and delivered it to my house. It was completely selfless of him and completely unexpected, and much appreciated.

[skygazer]

13. Wow, that's a great story

What a wonderful thing to do. :applause:

[redqueen]

40. Wow...

I bet you were overjoyed... I only wonder how good it made him feel!

[Guava Jelly]

15. I won't name names But

One duer Helped me through a very hard personal problem hint (she's canadian)
One Duer has always been there and listened to me when i needed a friend (and lives in NC)
One Duer listened to me not long ago (less then two weeks) when I needed a friend (and she looks great in boots)
One Duer cared enough to Send me a very wonderful Pm that assured me I was welcomed here (she also has a lovely daughter)
One Duer (who is visiting from germany) Talked to me (via Pm)and was a damn good friend when i needed one
One Duer who i will just call "My Fantasy" by just being kind and caring and Beautiful Inside and Out who always makes me smile even on the darkest of days! (you would have to be blind not to guess this one)

All Naughty Girls!!!
And all I just freaken love period!!
:loveya:

[redqueen]

41. DUers can be so kind...

:)

[greatauntoftriplets]

16. Check out what DU's own Rick Myers did....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2129517

My jaw dropped reading this cross-post from GD.

[bertha katzenengel]

17. dang

talk about a family man. wow.

[greatauntoftriplets]

19. Mrs. Venation did good by you, too.

That sounded like a horrendous infection.

[bertha katzenengel]

20. It was very frightening.

Not very big, but deep. :scared:

:hug:

[auntAgonist]

32. increbible. Every Mother should have a son like that ...

thanks for pointing out his thread.


amazing.


aA

[hotforteacher]

21. I am a single momma with an

"interesting" student debt to income ratio. :evilfrown:

However, along the way I have been incredibly lucky to come across people who get it.

My partner, early this spring aided me in helping to fix my car, which crossed the $1000 line and he knew that I could never fiscally handle the burden solo. He keeps telling me not to tell anyone, but fuck that. It left me in a puddle weeping for joy, and temporary relief in my loathing of humanity. I kept the envelope for months. That was just the tip of the iceberg and it came on the tail-end of an 18-month custody battle. Love isn't what you give, but rather in the thought behind it. That he thought about me in that manner is what levelled me.

He knew that I was shaking with anxiety when they called me for the estimate.

He knew that I didn't have anyone else to turn to.

I miss him.

:shrug:

This is post #100.

[lizziegrace]

24. You're a lucky momma

:hug:

[lost-in-nj]

22. Thank you for this thread

it renews my hope in people....
Looking at the headlines today I was getting really depressed.
:pals:

lost

[bettyellen]

23. that's the sweetest fucking thingi've ever seen on DU.

good for the both of you. but double plus good on her.
lucky gals!
:grouphug:

[lizziegrace]

25. Kick for the day crew

:kick:

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. MrG saved my life...and those who were around at the time know that

I am not exaggerating. When I was recovering from surgery last year they told him to go home. He didn't because something didn't "seem right"... He stayed with me the whole night, he pushed for doctors to come when my temp was rising, he noticed my I.V. had gone sub-cu... He stayed even after the staph infection was diagnosed and I went into I.C.U. He went about 3 days without sleep and never left me.

[REP]

27. My Brother Made Me Listern To His Elvis Impersonation

12 years ago, he came into where I went for coffee, sat down and told me to listen to his Elvis impersonation. I said okay. He said he bought me a car.

He'd gotten a big bonus at work and instead of getting himself something, he bought me my first car. I drove (and loved) it for 10 years - and when it blew up, my SO bought me a car to replace it.

My brother called me last night. He made a large sale and his first thought was to share his windfall with me. I have a wonderful brother (not just because of these two things!).

My SO has offered me one of his kidneys if he is a good tissue match when the time comes. He's never had any surgery of any type and the thought scares him, so this offer is even more selfless than an offer of a vital organ. He does so many wonderful, selfless things for me I'd be up all night typing to list them all, really, but this is above and beyond.

[1gobluedem]

29. An audiologist saved my life for free...

Sixteen years ago I sold newspaper advertising and had to call on a Beltone hearing aid place to renew an ad they placed annually in our Senior Living section. While I was there I mentioned casually that I was having trouble hearing on the phone when I used my left ear; thought wax might be blocking it and asked if they did ear washes. The guy said no, but he could give me a pressure test to see if anything was blocking the ear. Nothing was so he offered to give me a hearing test. The hearing in my right ear was perfect; the graph for my left ear looked like a ski slope. The guy told me that I was too young (I was 30 at the time) to have that kind of unilateral hearing loss and I should make an appointment with an otolaryngologist because something was wrong.

This was in March and I had only just started that job and didn't have health insurance yet. Besides, it wasn't that big a deal to me; I just had to remember to use my right ear on the phone.

In July the audiologist called to ask what the doctor said, which kind of surprised me since I'd had no contact with the place since then. When I told him I hadn't gone yet, he said "I really think you need to make that appointment." That threw me into a mild panic so I called the otolaryngolist clinic at UM Hospital and made an appointment.

It was a brain tumor.

Furthermore, it was extremely large, on my hearing nerve wedged between the inner ear and the brain and was begining to eat into the brain. Although these tumors are benign, if left untreated they will continue to eat into the brain, choking off the blood supply and eventually killing you. A tumor of that size should have been giving me siezures, blackouts, and headaches but my only symptom was the hearing loss. If I hadn't gone in to sell that ad, I probably wouldn't have had it checked until the other symptoms began and by then it would've been too late.

When my doctor learned why I came to him, he said "That man saved your life. Do you know how many audiologists would have simply sold you a hearing aid?" He wrote the guy a letter of commendation.

Removing the tumor took 11.5 hours and they had to leave 3% because of excessive bleeding (but it's closed off by scar tissue and can't grow back). I have no hearing in that ear, no balance nerve, and no inner ear on that side. But, thanks to that man, I'm alive. I'll never forget him.

[auntAgonist]

31. My thanks to him too!

Had it not been for his persistance I'd not have made a new friend!

I'm so very thankful that everything turned out well for you.

:hug:

aA
kesha

[1gobluedem]

34. Thanks aA!

I think of him often and count my blessings...

How are you? :hi:

[auntAgonist]

44. I have a cold :( but I'm doing ok

thanks for asking ..

It's time we should get together again :)


aA
:hug:

[1gobluedem]

45. Yes, indeed

Saw J & K last night; they send their regards. We should get with them and pick a day and time.

[Phillycat]

33. That story is AMAZING.

That God for that man.

[1gobluedem]

35. I was very, very lucky

There was a whole odd combination of events and circumstances around the whole thing that really turned me into a fatalist.

[redqueen]

42. Wow...

I'm glad followed up with you!

[bicentennial_baby]

30. When my father was in danger of losing a kidney, Sniffa

sincerely offered to give him one of his, if it was a match. Thankfully it didn't come to that, but wow, what a man... :)

[redqueen]

43. Thanks for starting this thread, Bertha.

I'm bookmarking this sucker for the next time I start losing faith in humanity.

:hug:

[taterguy]

46. Strangers gave me water when I hiked the Grand Canyon

A long story that I've told too many times here

[SKKY]

47. Mary Rizzo allowed me to live with her for a while when I had...

...absolutely nowhere else to go. I was friends with her sons Ray and Michael, and she took me in like I was one of her own. She's no longer
with us, and one of my biggest regrets is that I don't think she ever knew just how much I appreciated it or how much she and her family
helped me and really made me much of the person I am today.