Firefighters touched by waitress' generous act

A New Jersey waitress is making headlines for a small, kind gesture that turned into something big.

When Tim Young and Paul Hullings walked into a diner after putting out a fire during a long 12-hour shift, their waitress, Liz Woodward, decided to take care of their meal as a 'thank you' for their service.

One of the firefighters, Tim Young, told WPVI, "When it came time for the bill, we flipped it over and she decided to comp it on her own." 

"I started tearing up and it made me feel good - us firefighters are wanted, people care about us," firefighter Paul Hullings said.

The note reads, "Thank you for all that you do; for serving others & for running into the places everyone else runs away from. No matter your role, you are courageous, brave and strong."

             Tim Young

The men were so touched that they posted the bill on Facebook and it quickly went viral.

This is a good example of what goes around comes around.

The firefighters later learned that Liz was trying to raise enough money to buy a specialized van for her dad who has become paralyzed after a brain aneurysm five years ago -- so they spread the word.

Liz said, "The fact that it's reached, you know, different states, different cities...It was spread across the world. I'm at a loss for words. I'm at a loss for words."

Before the post, Liz hadn't raised half of the money she needed for the van. Now, she's received more than $60,000 in donations.

Via: AOL

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A face to Detroit's bankruptcy: Paralyzed firefighter to lose health benefits

The federal government has money problems. 

So, imagine the federal government telling wounded warriors coming back from overseas that they'll no longer take care of them, and instead, those veterans will get $200 a month for healthcare and a pair of broom sticks to walk around on. 

Outrageous right? 

Well that's what Detroit's wounded warriors, those who wore the badge and honorably served the community, are going to get if the bankruptcy stands as is. 

Here's one of those warriors, firefighter Brendan Milewski, in his own words. 

"August 13, 2010 - Friday the 13th - I was only at work for a couple minutes, never even stepped foot in the firehouse, taking my gear out of the car. We've got to run down to Jefferson and Drexel. We were working on the scene for ten, fifteen minutes and, without warning, a building collapsed on us.

"I was hit with a chunk of limestone the size of a parking lot, and that basically exploded my seventh thoracic vertebra. Now I'm left to live the rest of my life as a T6 Paraplegic.

"It's a complete loss of identity for me, to be in this position now and not amongst my peers, and seen as weak and feeble and handicapped and disabled. I hate all these words. I hate that they describe me. 

"I always understood that death was a legitimate possibility; I've seen enough of my friends die. I can't say Walter Harris' name enough. I never considered being injured to the point where I wasn't going to be who I was before, and having to live with the consequences. One would only assume that you make these kind of sacrifices at work, performing your job, that you'd be taken care of.

"I got a letter saying that my healthcare, through the city of Detroit, was going to be terminated as of January 1, 2014, and that, if I don't have another plan purchased by December 15th of this year, that I'll have a gap in coverage. And they're offering a $200 a month stipend to supplement the cost of purchasing my own health insurance.

Via: My Fox Detroit

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