You never know when you’re going to need a good Samaritan to swoop in.
Thankfully, for one woman, there were a couple of real-life ‘angels’ when she desperately needed them – and their act of kindness was captured on film.
Sarah Schlereth found herself in a life-threatening situation, choking on her food in a restaurant named Mann Meats in Florissant, Missouri.
Her distress was evident.
Sarah recalled the terrifying moment to 5 On Your Side,
“I was trying to get the food to go down, and it got stuck to where I couldn’t breathe at all.”
The camera footage shows Sarah’s desperate attempt to get help, instinctively moving towards a direction, as if guided by an unseen force.
She explained:
“I think something just told me to go over there.”
That path led her straight to Richard and Doretta Irwin, out-of-towners from Bloomington, Illinois, who were visiting their daughter for the Labor Day weekend.
The Irwins were no strangers to such situations.
Richard shared a personal connection, revealing that his mother had a condition called a hiatal hernia, which sometimes caused her to choke on food.
Armed with this knowledge and experience, Richard knew just what to do.
With swift action, Richard was able to assist Sarah, ensuring she was out of immediate danger.
But the Irwins’ compassion didn’t end there.
After the ordeal, a shaken Sarah was approached by the couple, who offered words of comfort, “Sarah, you didn’t do anything wrong. You did everything right.”
Richard then asked if they could pray with Sarah, to which she readily agreed.
The touching scene that followed showed the Irwins and Sarah huddled together in prayer.
Adding to the serendipity of the situation, Doretta was wearing what seemed like the perfect t-shirt that day.
It had a Bible verse printed on the back that ended with, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Doretta mentioned that she and her husband are involved in prison ministry and wear those shirts during their visits.
The message on her shirt couldn’t have been more apt for the situation, symbolizing the essence of humanity and the importance of looking out for one another.
The incident left a profound impact on Sarah.
Over the weekend, she felt a strong urge to express her gratitude to the family that had come to her aid.
She approached the owners of Mann Meats, hoping to leverage the reach of social media to find and thank the Irwins.
Her primary message was simple yet powerful, “Thank you for saving my life.”
The universe conspired to bring them together once more.
After Mann Meats posted the video online hoping to find the good Samaritans, they indeed got a response – and it was from the couple’s daughter.
On Monday morning, Sarah’s wish was granted.
The emotional reunion was marked by Sarah’s mother’s tears of joy.
It was a special moment, not just for Sarah and the Irwins but for everyone who witnessed it.
The strangers who walked into Mann Meats that fateful day left as friends, their lives forever intertwined by an act of kindness.
As Doretta told 5 On Your Side:
“We can make the world a better place if we do love our neighbors as ourselves.”
Watch the video below to see this incredible story unfold!
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