Editor,

I’m writing to thank the bystanders and experts who came to my aid at about 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15, just outside of Langley.

First, the six car angels who immediately stopped to help me up off the street after a surprise appointment the tarmac had with my face when my bicycle suddenly went down.

Three young ladies called 911 and brought a box of tissues for my bleeding forehead. One gentleman calmly staunched the flow of blood while suggesting I breathe deeply and exhale through my mouth to calm my nervous system.

Natasha, an acquaintance from the Waldorf School, stopped and said she had an ice pack she could offer.

Patrick, the policeman on duty stopped and crossed the street, staying with us until an aid car arrived. He also took my husband home so Tom could get our car and retrieve the bikes.

Richard and Matt were my primary caregivers with the first responder aid car. Matt took me through the protocol to check for head and spinal trauma. Richard checked my vitals and cleaned up my bloody glasses which were not broken. I was exceedingly lucky not to have any apparent trauma or breakage of bones and opted to be driven up to WhidbeyHealth via car. Matt had me sign off to do this, supported my decision, but stressed that if anything should change, to call them and they would come and take me the rest of the way.

WhidbeyHealth knew we were coming thanks to Matt’s report, and I had no wait to be seen. Nurse Hilde expertly tended to me, others cleaned me up with saline solution, and then Dr. Hansen assessed the gashes in my forehead and we decided that gluing them was a good option, hopefully leaving no scars.

He did order a CT scan as a double check for internal injuries. Vance, the technician expertly took me through the protocol of this simple procedure.

He explained it could be awhile for the scans to be interpreted offsite and then reported to the ER doc who would get back to me when he could.

Within a half an hour Dr. Hansen came in to say I was all clear, and 15 minutes later I was out the door.

Amazing. I am grateful for my resilient body and have thanked it many times for the fine civic safety net on South Whidbey and equally grateful for the kind people who didn’t have to stop but did, who immediately spent time to help me get what I needed and then quietly withdrew when the experts took over.

Claudia Walker

Clinton