Hurricane Harvey, one of the most devastating cyclones in the history of the United States, destructed everything that came in its way. It is not only remembered today as the second costliest natural disaster in the world after 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, but the death count that resulted from it was also staggering. Dozens of people lost their lives to the disaster, and similar could have been the fate of one Andrea Smith of Houston if it was not for her neighbors. Have you heard this amazing story of how a few people risked their own lives to protect pregnant Andrea? Here it is.
Greg and Andrea Smith must have wished for everything to go smoothly when they first got to know that they were expecting but the fate had something completely different planned for them. As Andrea’s due date approached, the United States was struck by one of the most devastating natural disasters it had ever seen. The city of Houston in Texas, where they live, was swamped by historic flooding just before Andrea went into labor. The 3-feet-deep water that filled the streets rendered the couple helpless, trapped in their apartment, unable to get in touch with any emergency services, be it Coast Guard or 911.
Therefore, the soon-to-be-parents, who are both doctors themselves, made preparations for emergency delivery at their home itself, despite having no medical supplies as well as no specified specialization in obstetrics. Greg, who is a pediatric anesthesiologist, and Andrea, who works in geriatrics, made arrangements for a Skype call with their doctor friend having experience in delivering babies to help them through the delivery.
Since several other medical professionals lived in the same apartment community as the Smiths, they also had help coming with required equipment and supplies. But the fate was still not done throwing obstacles in front of Greg and Andrea. The floodwater soon started to threaten the apartment; they had to prepare to move arrangements for the delivery to the second floor. As the chances of carrying out a healthy delivery looked bleak, a member of the group sent out a message which alerted firefighters to conduct a rescue mission for the in-labor, Andrea Smith.
The truck had arrived to take Smiths to the hospital but getting Andrea to the truck was still a challenging task. There was still waist-deep water between the Smith’s apartment and the truck, and it was difficult for Andrea to reach it on her own. What happened next was perhaps one of the only few good moments to have happened during the destructive Hurricane Harvey. Smiths’ neighbor clasped hands one after the other, forming a human chain in the 3-feet deep water to make way for Andrea and Greg to get to the truck.
This was perhaps like a divine intervention for the couple who had already miscarried twice on the previous occasion. They welcomed their baby girl around 2 in the morning, who though was assigned to the intensive care unit, was later told to be healthy along with the new mother. It seemed like the destiny had made up its mind to bless the couple with a baby finally. Well, if it wasn’t fate or destiny, it was certainly the goodness of mankind.
At the time when there is so much destruction going on in the world, where one human is adamant on hurting the other, the actions of Smiths’ neighbors have proved that there are some that are willing to risk their own life for the sake of others. Maybe this can inspire a few of us to do a similar deed for someone in need when we get the chance.
Here is the video of those heroes helping the 9-month pregnant Andrea forming a human chain to get her to the truck.
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