Woman Is Too Busy to Help Dad with Disability, Then His Wheelchair Gets Stuck on a Train Track – Story of the Day

George had been helping his daughter Julie with her baby every day despite his disability. Sometimes, she picked him up, but he wheeled himself to her house most of the time. One day, his wheelchair got stuck on a train track, and he thought he would die until someone unexpected helped.

George had been in a wheelchair since the car crash which took his wife Bernice's life. Their daughter, Julie, was in her 20s at the time and would help out as much as possible. But George learned how to get by on his own quickly.

He mourned his wife, but Julie was not that far from him. She lived around 20 minutes away in Ames, Iowa. The only problem is that George had to wheel himself through to some train tracks to get there. But it was fine. He was still young at heart and loved the outdoor scenery of the area.

A few years after his accident, Julie gave birth to a son, Joshua. Julie was a single mother and a serious career woman, so George decided to help out as much as he could, although she never asked him to.

“Really, dad. It’s alright. I can do it on my own, or I can hire a sitter,” Julie told him after he spent the entire day watching Joshua.

“Darling, what else am I going to do all day? Why spend money on a stranger when I can be here with my grandson?” George responded.

“Well, it takes you 20 minutes to wheel yourself here. You might feel young, dad, but you’re in your 50s already. That’s a huge effort, and I’m sorry, but I can’t pick you up every day too,” Julie explained, exasperated with her father.

“Don’t worry about me. The exercise is good, and it’s not a dangerous road at all,” her father continued.

“Yeah, not dangerous at all. There’s only a big railway there, and you might get crushed by a train,” Julie said sarcastically.

“Again, it’s fine. In any case, the train is never there when I pass, so it’s not a problem,” George added and cooed at Joshua as he fed him that morning.

A few times a week, Julie drove Joshua to her father's house so he could babysit in his house. But her work was getting more demanding. She barely had time to sleep and arrange everything for the day. So it was simply more convenient for George to go to her place.

But one day, George was running late himself. He overslept and noticed a considerable layer of snow outside. Julie called him as he was getting dressed. “Where are you?” she asked, frustrated.

“Honey, I overslept, and it snowed last night. Can you pick me up?” George wondered.

“I'm sorry, Dad. I have meetings all day. I need to rush out the door now. I’ll leave Joshua with Mrs. Goldman next door,” Julie retorted.

“Don’t worry, then. I’ll pick him up as soon as I get there. It might take a little longer than usual. Just tell Mrs. Goldman that I’m coming,” George insisted.

“Fine. See you later,” Julie replied and hung up.

George started the journey to Julie’s house. It was slower than usual due to the snow but nothing too bad. However, his wheel wouldn’t budge at a certain point. “Oh man,” George mumbled when he noticed what happened.

One of his back wheels got stuck on a wonky part of the rail track. He usually avoided it but got distracted by the snow. “Come on. Come on. Come on,” he chanted, trying to pry himself off.

He couldn’t, and it was dangerous. It was much later than usual, and a train could be headed his way. George grabbed his phone and dialed Julie, but it went to voicemail. He didn’t know Mrs. Goldman’s number.

Suddenly, he heard the distinctive sound of a train coming through the railway. Even the tracks started vibrating. George pulled as hard as he could, but nothing could budge his wheelchair. Oh no. The train won't be able to stop even if the conductor sees me, he thought desperately.

Suddenly, a man in uniform appeared out of nowhere and quickly tried to pry his chair from the track. “Ah! This is stuck!” the man shouted. The train was getting closer, and they still hadn’t moved.

“Leave, sir! You’ll get run over too! It’s no use!” George yelled at him. But the man grabbed him and hefted his body, groaning at the older man’s weight. They both fell on the snowy ground next to the track just as they heard the crunch of the wheelchair as the train crushed it.

Both men were breathing heavily, as George looked at his savior. “Thank you! Thank you so much! I didn’t even see you coming, but thank you!” he gasped.

“Don’t mention it, sir. It’s my job. I’m police officer Daniel Bradford,” the cop explained.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m George,” he replied.

“Why were you out in this weather? And why didn't you take a better route? Going through the tracks is so dangerous,” Officer Bradford reproached him.

“It’s the shortest way to reach my daughter’s house. I’m supposed to watch my grandson today. But I woke up later than usual, and the snow… well, it makes everything worse,” George added.

“You should have asked her to bring the kid to your house,” the officer suggested.

“She used to do that. But her work has been so hectic. She has no time,” George explained.

“Yeah, well. I bet she’ll find the time when you tell her what happened today. Come on, let’s get you on my back and to the squad car. I’ll drive you to her house,” Officer Bradford stated.

A few minutes later, they arrived at Julie’s house. Mrs. Goldman had spotted the cop car from her window and came out of her house. She was carrying Joshua. “Oh my god! What happened?” she gasped.

They explained everything, and she told Officer Bradford not to worry because she would take care of George and the baby. George told her he was fine, but Mrs. Goldman insisted.

Julie called a few hours later after her meetings ended. George told her what happened, and she left work immediately. “DAD! DAD! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS! OH MY GOD!” Julie bellowed and started crying on his shoulders.

“It’s ok, Julie. I’m ok. Don’t worry!” George comforted her.

“No! It’s not ok! That’s it! You’re moving in with me! No more wheeling yourself over those tracks! And I’m getting an automatic wheelchair too. The best one on the market!” Julie concluded vehemently.

George moved in a few days later, and Julie negotiated her schedule so she could work remotely three days a week. “I’ll never be too busy for you again, Dad. I promise,” she assured him.

What can we learn from this story?

• Don’t let work get in the way of caring for your family. We all need money, but work isn't as important as keeping our families safe.
• Watch out where you’re going, especially during bad weather. George didn’t pay close attention because he was in a rush, and it could have been fatal.

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