On June 24, our 82-year-old mother suffered a stroke while shopping at the Giant Eagle in Penn Hills. Thankfully, she was with her two sisters, Helen and Katie, who were able to assist her and call for help right away.

After an ambulance ride to a local hospital, a subsequent helicopter ride to another hospital, and spending a few days in the Intensive Care Unit, she is now recovering in the hospital nicely and undergoing intense physical therapy.

There were two very helpful people at the Giant Eagle who assisted our family that day. One was a kind Giant Eagle employee who quickly got a chair for our mom to sit down and helped our aunts call for help. The other person was a customer.

The anonymous shopper stayed with our mom and never left her side while our aunts went to call for help and to talk with the paramedics. She voluntarily stood by our mom the entire time to make sure she was never left alone.

How giving and thoughtful of this person who was just picking up a few groceries for the day. She could have very easily turned her head the other way and gone about her shopping, but instead she chose to give her time to be with a stranger in need.

We are so grateful for the blessing of this angel who showed up to just stand there and comfort our mom during this very scary time. We were not able to personally thank this woman, but we want her to know how much we truly appreciate her kindness.

BARB PURSH

Wilkins

Today, I visited the Penn Hills post office, where I mailed packages to my two small great-granddaughters in Georgia.

After I returned home a few hours later, I noticed my wallet was missing. I really was upset, as I am planning a trip to Florida this weekend to make my move up here to Pittsburgh and needed the ID for the plane trip, plus there were credit cards for various things.

I checked everywhere here in the house, but the wallet was nowhere. I made the trip back to the post office never dreaming someone had found it and turned it in because I have lived in Florida for 30 years and this does not happen too often down there.

I was so happy when the clerk handed me my wallet all intact. Nothing missing. It really made me believe there still are honest people left in the world. Just one more reason I'm happy I'm coming back home.

GERRY FULLEN

Penn Hills

Sadly, my BlackBerry has become an important communication device that I find difficult to live without, so you can imagine how frustrated I was when I could not find it the weekend of July 10. After repeatedly dialing it and cleaning my office and car and checking all its normal resting spots, I could not find it.

Thinking the BlackBerry was lost, that next Monday I started the process of getting a new one when I received a call from Corey, a Penn Hills firefighter, saying that he had my BlackBerry. Since I hadn't driven anywhere near his Mount Carmel Road firehouse since losing my BlackBerry, I wondered how it ended up there.

He told me that Curtis, first lieutenant at the fire station, was sitting at the light at Centre and South Aiken avenues in Shadyside when he saw the BlackBerry fly off the roof of my car. Curtis was too busy retrieving it from destruction by heavy traffic to see which way I had gone.

I wondered how they had found me since the BlackBerry device is locked with a code. Fortunately, when you "wake it up" my name appears on the screen. The generous firefighters took the time to Google me and found my work number.

After receiving the message from Corey, I called the firehouse and spoke to Curtis that evening. I went to pick up my BlackBerry, but the entire force was out on a drill and I could not retrieve it.

I called later that evening and spoke with Curtis, who said they had just returned from their detail. He asked me where I lived and indicated that he would bring the BlackBerry to my house! It was very nice to meet Curtis and thank him for all his trouble.

I am hoping that Curtis and his fellow firefighters enjoyed the cookies I gave them as a small token of thanks for helping me.

BEN VAN HOUTEN

Point Breeze

While visiting my mom in Pittsburgh recently (I live in Europe), I had the misfortune to run into car trouble while returning from the airport. I pulled into a "no service" station in Green Tree and watched as my mother's overheated car began to belch steam from under the hood.

As a somewhat mechanically minded individual, I managed to get the hood open but knew enough not to touch or try to remove the radiator cap. As I was mulling over various scenarios, a very kind young man in a green Chevy (or Ford?) got out of his car and asked me if I needed help. After I explained the problem to him he helped me refill the radiator and get me on my way.

This may seem like a small effort, but for someone who has not lived in the U.S. for the past 30 years, I was overwhelmed with his readiness to offer assistance and make sure I was able to make it home. I did not ask -- nor did he offer -- his name.

He is just one of the many, many wonderful residents of this great city who make me proud to announce to anyone who asks, "I'm from Pittsburgh!"

GINNY BURKE-KASPER

Vienna, Austria

On June 23 around 5:15 p.m., I lost all power in my car as I was cruising down Interstate 79 between the Carnegie and Heidelberg exits. This is a highly traveled section of I-79 and speeding is quite common.

I got off the road, called 911, and was put through to the state police, who quickly sent a PennDOT tow truck to me. Shortly after the driver pulled behind me, the sky exploded with severe thunder and lightning and a torrential downpour of rain.

The driver was able to get into the passenger side of the car between bolts of lightning and did "something" so that I could get my now-dead-as-a-doornail car out of "drive." At that point he suggested I call the AAA and request a flatbed.

To my relief, Steve, the driver, stayed with me during the downpour. Even though my flashers were on, visibility was very low, and although I didn't say it, I was concerned about another car rear-ending me! With the PennDOT truck behind me, I felt great comfort.

I want to thank Steve, from Millvale, for staying with me until my husband arrived, as an interstate is not the place for a 60-some-year-old woman to be broken down ... alone.

SUE THAYER

North Strabane

Johann, Maryann and I were off to do some shopping and decided breakfast was first on the list. During the last refill, our waitress informed us that our check was taken care of.

Needless to say, we were shocked. Denny's was filled to capacity. We all took turns looking around to find a familiar face. None could be found.

This was truly an act of kindness. Imagine picking up three checks! Many thanks from three grateful ladies.

FLO OCILKA

Elizabeth Township

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