Asbury Park, NJ Resident And First Responders Help Woman in Need

A Good Samaritan recognized something wasn't right and stepped in to help a woman with dementia. This happened on Thanksgiving morning in Asbury Park.

A resident was walking out to her car when an elderly woman, wearing only a coat and holding her purse, approached her asking her for help. She said she had lost her keys and lived across the street, but couldn't identify the house.

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The Good Samaritan said, "It all seemed pretty normal. Until it didn't."

The concerned resident invited the woman inside to warm up and get something to drink. That's when she said, "I saw and heard the dementia loud and clear."

She called the police and when first responders arrived they confirmed what she had already suspected. She said they "were wonderfully compassionate and gentle with her."

Not only did the Good Samaritan help by calling the police, but she stayed with her while the paramedics checked her out. She said, "Each time I tried to get up from the back of the ambulance to say goodbye, she got upset so I would stay."

It was then time to say goodbye again. She said, "And just like that, the curse of dementia turned into a blessing; my “buddy” for about an hour had no idea who I was and she didn't get upset and the responders could take her for the rest of the journey."

In a letter to the Asbury Park Police Department, the Good Samaritan thanked the first responders for "going above and beyond" and "just watching them do their jobs in this very delicate situation on a cold and blustery Thanksgiving morning was awe-inspiring."

The first responders involved were Asbury Park Police Officer Herline Valcin and Firemen Richard Gabriel and Joseph Annunziata.

Thanks to the quick and loving actions of this Asbury Park resident and first responders, the woman was reunited with her family.