When a mother of three noticed a 64-year-old man with special needs freezing outside her house on Christmas, she couldn’t help but invite him inside. What happened next was a series of uplifting events that people regarded as a Christmas miracle.
Sha’Kyra Aughtry thought, like most people, that she would spend Christmas with her family, but fate had other plans. On Christmas Eve, the mother of three was at home with her boyfriend, Trent, in Buffalo, New York, when she heard someone calling for help outside.
During the holidays, when a blizzard caused chaos in the city, Aughtry and Trent had the chance to save a stranger from dying. When they opened their door to the knock, they saw a man covered in snow.
A terrible memory
As Aughtry watched the unidentified man pleading for help, she was reminded of a terrifying event from 2019: her 30-year-old brother came to her door asking for help after being shot and hurt.
Unfortunately, despite Aughtry’s best efforts, her brother died. She chose to help the stranger because she couldn’t let history repeat itself.
When the pair learned that someone was trapped outside in the dangerous snow, Trent offered to carry the weak man inside while Aughtry got ready to keep him warm.
The man suffered frostbite, which the couple discovered when they carried him inside. They also discovered that he was a disabled man who had no idea how long he had been stuck in the snow.
Aughtry had never thought she would accompany a stranger to the hospital on Christmas.
Aughtry quickly cleaned the victim and wrapped him in warm clothes before asking him questions. Even though she had no idea when he had last eaten, she fed him and gave him a hairdryer to help him feel better.
Aughtry was now only worried about helping the man. She did her best to calm and give him whatever he needed for warmth and comfort.
He revealed his identity to Aughtry as Joey White after gaining calm and realizing he was in a secure location. He was a 64-year-old man who worked at the nearby North Park Theater.
Augtry found it easy because Joey remembered his sister’s phone number by heart. After Aughtry described it to her, he immediately called Yvonne White and told her about Joey.
He still needs support.
Yvonne was happy to hear that her brother was okay, but she also felt bad about not being able to see him from 20 miles away. The roads were difficult due to the deep snowfall that had covered them.
That her brother resided in a group home was disclosed to Yvonne. She had told him not to leave his house before the terrible blizzard arrived, and he had complied. Although he intended to stay home, Yvonne had a slight feeling that he had left his home to go to work.
Yvonne thought her brother might have chosen to walk home out of fear. She appreciated that Augtry had come to her home, but there was still a lot to do because Joey required emergency medical care.
Angels in disguise
In a desperate attempt to get help and support, Aughtry posted a video on Facebook explaining how she discovered Joey waving for assistance outside her home. A group of Samaritans quickly showed up outside Aughtry’s home, plowed the snow, and then quickly wrapped Joey in a blanket before bringing him to the hospital.
Aughtry had never expected to go to the hospital on Christmas with a total stranger. She sat next to him in the truck and reassured him everything would be alright. She uttered:
“Don’t cry. We’re friends for life now.”
Saving the Man
Ray Barker, the program director at North Part Theatre, was touched when he discovered how Aughtry had saved Joey’s life. He claimed that before the blizzard, he had called Joey to ask him not to report to work.
Joey had been coming to work every day for more than 40 years, and it had become a habit. Because of his sister’s assertion that he had the mental capacity of an 11-year-old, Joey left his house despite two people telling him to stay there.
Joey was diagnosed with fourth-degree frostbite and required hospital visits after an examination by the medical staff. Things would have been much worse if Aughtry and Trent hadn’t brought him inside their home.
A true angel
When Aughtry’s sister found that she had saved a man’s life on Christmas, she felt honored. It reminded the sisters of their late brother. Yvonne, meanwhile, was eager to meet Aughtry. She voiced:
“This stranger opened up her heart and opened up her home.”
When Aughtry’s heroism became well-known online, “Sweet Buffalo” on Facebook requested that people send cards to Joey and Aughtry and referred to Aughtry as a “true angel” in her request. On GoFundMe, there are two online fundraisers for Joey and Aughtry, and the post also has their addresses.
The fact that Aughtry saved Joey just in time is nothing short of a Christmas miracle! We wish Joey a speedy recovery and hope that Aughtry and Trent never stop motivating others with their admirable actions.
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