A 3 Year Old From NH Saves a Woman’s Life

An incredibly observant 3-year-old boy saves his neighbor according to a story from WTOC.com.  We can all learn a lesson from this kid and his mother.  The little boy was out for a walk with his mother when he noticed that the neighbor’s newspaper was at the end of her driveway.  He told his mother he wanted to put the newspaper on her porch.  When he did, he noticed a pile of other newspapers.  He expressed concern to his mother.  That in itself is incredible.  He was only 3 years old but he had enough empathy and smarts to make the connection that if there is a pile of newspapers on the front door, someone should check on the neighbor.  I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a pile of newspapers on my neighbor’s porch, or mail piled up in their mailboxes and I never thought “I should check on that person.”

This story got me thinking.  I need to be more mindful in my life.  After the neighbor woman did not respond to phone calls, the police did a wellness check and sure enough, she had been trapped in a small corridor in the basement for three days.  She was treated at Portsmouth Hospital for minor injuries and it appears she will be fine according to the article from WTOC.com and the Hampton Police Department press release posted on their Facebook page.   But what if the mother had told her son, “oh, maybe she is just busy” and went about her day.  I think the mother and son should be commended.

Sometimes the right thing and the easy thing are not the same.  We all need to use this time to check on our neighbors.  If anything looks off, like lights being off or mail piling up, it’s worth it to check on each other and keep each other safe.  There are a lot of vulnerable people in our communities and especially in the days of social isolation it’s a good idea to contact your local police department to do a wellness check.  The worst that can happen is the person if fine and the police move along.  If not for a 3-year old’s quick thinking and his mother really listening to him, how long would his neighbor have been trapped in the basement? I am so glad this story had a happy ending and a lesson for all of us.