This week Julie Coates saved another person's life. So this week's Boy Hero goes to my brilliant co-author Julie. He was the 9nth person whose life Julie has directly saved.
Joshawa is a smart, young, skilled handyman who fixes Julie's son's house in Portland, Oregon. He has been sick for a month and not able to work. This week he called Julie and asked her to bring him a hamburger. Julie did. When she gave it to him he was too weak to hold it. Julie asked him 5 questions. Then she diagnosed a brain injury and said Joshawa needs to go to the emergency room now.
Joshawa replied he had been there three times and the hospital doesn't do anything, just sends him home. So Julie took him to the ER to make sure he received treatment. By the time they arrived Joshawa couldn't remember Julie's name so he said she was his mother, which Julie did not dispute. They finally fought through the paperwork and entrance staff, who don't like the homeless even though Joshawa has good insurance. The more-friendly doctor asked Joshawa the same 5 questions Julie had asked him, and then did a brain scan. After the brain scan came back, the doctor said he was sending Joshawa to emergency brain surgery immediately. His brain was hemorraging blood.
The brain surgery, not always successful, worked. Joshawa is still alive. Save #9 for Julie. Photo: Joshawa, right, at Julie's grandson's fourth birthday this year.