Recently, a Santa Fe police officer rescued an 87-year-old woman from a burning car.  You might have seen a clip of the dramatic video captured from the New Mexico police officer’s body camera.  The video has been making its way across the internet and national news channels.

The police were following her after they saw the woman’s car was throwing sparks from a flat tire.  When she pulled into the parking lot, outside of CHRISTUS St. Vincent hospital’s clinic, they were able to move in quickly with fire extinguishers.

However, what hasn’t been reported as widely is what the video doesn’t show.

Of all the parking lots to pull into, outside CHRISTUS St. Vincent was the right one as a team of courageous people stepped in to help this woman facing danger and adversity.

When her car arrived in the parking lot and the situation became clear, CHRISTUS Associates and providers from CHRISTUS St. Vincent’s Neurosurgical Services Department ran out with their own fire extinguishers. Dr. Philip Shields, a neurosurgeon, used an extinguisher to help fight the flames while the officer pulled the driver out and even rescued her cane.

When you’re in trouble, a hospital is the perfect place to be.  Not only that, but this incident took place in a parking lot where the witnesses were CHRISTUS health care professionals.  They are specially-trained to make quick decisions, and they all know how keeping cool is vital.  But on this day, instead of delivering exceptional care behind the four walls of a hospital, they were outside doing the same.

Because of their teamwork and a heroic officer who remained calm, the woman was able to successfully exit the car.  She was examined for smoke inhalation and is expected to be okay.

We give thanks for this miraculous rescue and for the CHRISTUS caregivers around the globe who come to work every day ready to help those who need assistance, whether inside the walls of our facility or out.