Doctor Walks Six Miles In a Snowstorm to Save a Stranger’s Life

In a world where so many doctors get a bad rap, one stands out above the rest. His name is Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw.

This past Tuesday, a man with a traumatic brain injury showed up at a Birmingham, Alabama hospital in desperate need of surgery, but the only available surgeon was Dr. Hrynkiw and he was at a hospital six miles away. That he was six miles away doesn’t sound like a big deal, but what was a big deal is that Alabama was slammed with a major snowstorm that had the roads in a gridlock.

Dr. Hrynkiw tried to drive the six miles to get to the patient, but traffic wasn’t moving and he knew the guy needed surgery immediately. So, Dr. Hrynkiw decided to walk.

A nurse at the hospital where the man with the brain injury was called police so that they could give the doctor a ride, but they couldn’t find him in the storm. Several hours passed and worry started to creep in. What if something had happened to the doctor as he tried to make it on foot through the storm?

After trekking several hours through the major snowstorm, Dr. Hrynkiw made it to the hospital and rushed into surgery, which was a success. The patient probably wouldn’t have survived if the doctor hadn't made the split decision to walk, but the man is recovering nicely.

What’s even more amazing is that Dr. Hrynkiw, who’s received national attention for his heroic act, doesn’t understand why walking in a snowstorm to save the life of a patient is such a big deal. The doctor told reporters: "It really wasn't that big of a deal. He had a 90 percent chance of dying. I walk a lot so it really wasn't that big a deal.”

Not that big of a deal? I think it is. And I think this doctor deserves every bit of recognition he gets.