When a 16-year-old young man noticed a stranger sitting on the ledge of a tall bridge, he walked over to the man, befriended him and helped save his life.
16-year-old Jamie Harrington was on his way to buy some Gatorade from a local store in Dublin, Ireland, when he noticed a man in his 30’s sitting out on the ledge of a bridge he was crossing.
“I was just on my way to the American sweet shop to buy some Gatorade, when I saw this guy in his 30s sitting on the ledge of the bridge,” Jamie shared in a post online.
Jamie was concerned about the man, as his face looked distraught and he had tears in his eyes, so he stopped and asked him if he was okay.
“I just thought, “wow…” I stopped and asked him if he was okay, but I knew from the look in his eyes he wasn’t, and he didn’t say anything either, but I saw tears coming from his eyes. I pleaded with him for a while to come down and sit on the steps, and eventually he did.”
After convincing the stranger to sit with him on the steps away from the ledge, Jamie’s kind heart recognized the man’s deep need for love. He sat with him and talked for around 45 minutes.
“We sat on the sidewalk on the south side of the Liffey and talked for about 45 minutes, about what was happening to him, why was he feeling that way… I couldn’t leave him there alone, but I had to go, so I was going to ring an ambulance. I told him they could help him feel better. But he was like “please, please don’t call them, I’m fine, I just want to walk around for a while, I’m gonna be okay!”
Jamie knew that the right thing to do was to get help for the man, so he called an ambulance, and the man was brought to the St. James Hospital to receive care.
“I told him to please let me ring an ambulance, that I wouldn’t sleep knowing he was just walking around alone. So I rang it, and he was taken to St. James Hospital. I got his number so I would know what was going on with him for a good while…”
The stranger was able to receive some help, and he decided to keep on living. Jamie kept in contact with the stranger, and a few months later, the man shared something truly special with Jamie.
“And about three months ago, he texted me that his wife is pregnant, they’re having a boy, and they’re naming him after me. Can you believe that? They’re going to name their child after me… He said in that moment that I approached him, he was just about to jump, and those few words saved his life. That they’re still ringing in his head every day. “Are you okay?” I can’t really understand how these few words could save his life, but he told me, “Imagine if nobody ever asked you those words…” “
Many people we pass by each day silently struggle and deal with stress and difficulties which we may never hear about. A few kind, compassionate words to those we see each day, like the ones Jamie offered the stranger, can help inspire these loved individuals to keep going in life.
You are Loved.
Post by @understanding_compassionView on Threads
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