A Nanaimo senior is grateful for the actions of two children who found her and called for help after she fell, suffered a concussion and lay exposed to cold night temperatures for 10 hours.
Lorraine Buchan, 90, who lives near Fillinger Crescent in north Nanaimo, took out her trash bin March 14 at about 10:30 p.m., but as she was returning to her house she fell and banged her head.
含羞草研究社淚 was putting out my garbage bin and, you know, from then on, I don含羞草研究社檛 know, I was down,含羞草研究社� Buchan said.
She figures she might have tripped on her front doorstep. She lay there for a couple of hours, and when she came around she couldn含羞草研究社檛 get back on her feet because she had injured one arm and has a problem with the rotor cuff in the other.
She eventually crawled back into her home on her hands and knees and then lay there with the lights on and the front door open all that night, calling for help, but no one responded.
含羞草研究社淭he lights were on, the front door wide open all night,含羞草研究社� Buchan said. 含羞草研究社淣o cougars. No robbers. Nobody wanted me.含羞草研究社�
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Buchan lay in the cold for 10 hours until the following morning when Noah Lutz, 8, and his sister Meghan, 11, happened by after opting to walk to school on a different route than they含羞草研究社檇 normally take.
The children found Buchan when they heard her weak cries for help and investigated.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not the fast way to school so I don含羞草研究社檛 why they were going that way that day, but they decided to 含羞草研究社� Every once in a while they leave early and walk different ways and it just happened to be that day as fate would have it,含羞草研究社� said Erin Lutz, the children含羞草研究社檚 mother.
含羞草研究社淲e were walking to school and we heard 含羞草研究社榟elp,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Meghan said. 含羞草研究社淚t was faint.含羞草研究社�
Meghan said they were a little scared, but overcame their apprehension to move in and help Buchan.
含羞草研究社淚 told Noah to stay there and then I went up and got a car to call the ambulance,含羞草研究社� Meghan said.
Noah stayed with Buchan until he heard a car start next door and ran to that residence to get help.
含羞草研究社淚 heard a truck starting next door and then I got that truck and they helped,含羞草研究社� Noah said. 含羞草研究社淚 told them then somebody needed help and then they went over.含羞草研究社�
Buchan was in hospital for eight days recovering from the injuries she suffered from the fall, but is now back at home still recovering from 含羞草研究社渨ooziness含羞草研究社� left over from the concussion, which she hopes will pass soon.
含羞草研究社淓verything takes takes time,含羞草研究社� she said.
She received a visit from the children who stopped by Sunday to check on her.
含羞草研究社淭hey are just fabulous. They all came to the door yesterday to see if I was OK,含羞草研究社� Buchan said.
Buchan now has a Lifeline medical alert device so she can call for help should she have another mishap and she has no intention of giving up living independently anytime soon.
含羞草研究社淚 had just celebrated my 90th birthday and I含羞草研究社檓 trying; I am. I含羞草研究社檓 still going to stay in my home.含羞草研究社�
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