On Monday, December 3rd in mid afternoon, driving en route to Washington DC on I-77 North, I had a heart attack due to a 100% blockage of the LAD arterial, a condition known in cardiac circles as the Widowmaker. Through the grace of God, I managed to get my pick-up off Interstate 77 on the exact exit of this rural BP station. I had no idea where I was. I entered the business of Sajjad Qureshi, the owner, to ask him the location of the nearest hospital. I then went back to my truck and called 911. While awaiting the rural EMT, Mr. Qureshi came over to my truck with four aspirins and told me to chew them not swallow them whole. Prior to coming to this country he was a dentist, had medial training and recognized my symptoms. As I learned minutes later in the ambulance from the EMT's, as they read from the EKG monitor taking me to a hospital with a cardiac ICU 16 miles distant, this man, the gas station owner, had saved my life. As I learned still later after angioplasty and the implantation of a stent, there is a 0% chance of recovery from the Widowmaker without IMMEDIATE medical attention.
I owe my life to this stranger, this Good Samaritan, who left his dentistry practice and his life to come to this country. I did not buy a thing from him, he watched my car for three days as I was in Cardiac ICU and if he had not, without being asked left, his business to assist a me, a man he did not know but knew I was in deep distress, you would be reading not this but my obituary. This, to, is the definition of And every time I take I-77, I will stop at Sajjad's BP, buy gas and embrace him as a brother, because he put "service" in service station.
I will thank God every day that in my time of most need, befuddled and crushed with pain, with the clock ticking and when every second counted he sent to me an angel, Mr. Qureshi, whose IMMEDIATE action, saved me from the fatal clutches of the Widowmaker. read more