An Assortment Of Angels To The Rescue

Dear Pamela,

One day at Kapahulu Zippy’s, I went off-balance and fell, hitting my head and my butt really hard. A wahine sitting nearby saw what happened and called 911 right away. A couple of men eating their lunch came to my rescue and got me up off the floor. The firemen came, collected all the information and took my blood pressure. Then the EMS came, asked me more questions and took my blood pressure too.

I told them I did not want to go to the ER, but it did not sound right, so I changed my mind and went to the ER, had a CAT scan done on my head and X-ray done on my butt. Everything was OK. I had pain in my butt and a lump the size of an avocado on my head. The lump on my head has come down quite a bit. The pain in my butt has come down quite a bit, but is still there. It was quite an experience and I am very grateful to everyone who helped me that day. Mahalo to everyone! I am very grateful.

June Ima
Liliha

Dear June,

“Doreen Kitagawa and I remember Mrs. Ima very well,” says city paramedic supervisor Laura Kumamoto. “She was a complete sweetheart, and I remember that she mentioned how she catches the city bus every day to attend church. We are so pleased to hear that she is doing well and truly appreciate the kind words she shared to remember EMS, HFD and the Good Samaritans who assisted her.”

Dear Pamela,

I would like to thank the many angels who came to my rescue when I tripped following a Wahine basketball game. I fell on the slight incline leading to the parking lot.

The first angel identified himself as a fireman and asked if I had hit my head, then he asked me if I could move my fingers. He stopped two more men to help lift me to my feet and insisted that he walk me to our car. I forgot his name, but he said he was with the Diamond Head or Kapahulu fire station.

Following the incident, I went to Kaiser Emergency, where the medical staff provided the necessary tests and determined immediate surgery was imminent to replace the humerus in my left shoulder. Thanks to the professionalism of Kaiser Emergency staff and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kanu Okike, who performed the surgery, my daughter, family and friends, St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church and Dahn Yoga, Hawaii — all angels who provided spiritual, physical and moral support. May you all be blessed a hundredfold.

Williette Wong
Aiea

Dear Williette,

Dr. Kanu Okike of Kaiser Permanente Moanalua is appreciative of your letter.

“I will share your kind words with our wonderful team here at the hospital,” he says. “It sounds like you have a great team of your own now looking out for you. Glad we could be of help and that you are on the mend.”

HFD also acknowledges your APPLAUSE to one of its firefighters. “We’re very happy Mrs. Wong is doing well. Our job is to help the public, whether on duty or off,” says Kendall Ching of HFD.

Dear Pamela,
This letter recognizing a person whose efforts made my day is long overdue.

Since retiring, I have made it a point to get my daily exercise by swimming at Ala Moana Beach Park every morning. I have met and since become a grateful and faithful supporter of Dennis Ohata, a maintenance worker there. He not only makes my day, but also that of countless others who frequent the park. We all take time to chat with him, and somehow he finds the time to greet us with his smile and continue doing his job. Though he may think we do not recognize his efforts to keep the park and restrooms in great condition, we do.

And so I would like to give him a big round of APPLAUSE for making my daily trek to the park an enjoyable and positive part of my day. I truly believe many others feel the same and would like to thank him for being there.

Milton Sugino
Ala Moana

Aloha Milton,

“For our park maintenance staff, keeping our parks and facilities in the best shape possible is a source of great pride,” says Craig Mayeda, administrator of the City and County Parks Maintenance and Recreation Services.

“Maintaining a park, especially a large and very busy one, can be a very challenging job. It is always great to hear when a member of our staff is making a difference and showing both dedication and enthusiasm. I appreciate your taking the time to recognize Dennis. His colleagues and I applaud him as well.

If you know someone who deserves some Applause, send your letters to Pamela Young, MidWeek Applause, KITV, 801 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813. Include your name, phone number and, if possible, the phone number of your “applaudee” so we can contact him or her.