On June 14 after leaving a doctor’s appointment, my daughter and I stopped by Walmart to purchase some items.

A few minutes into our shopping trip, I ran into an old childhood friend. We exchanged a few stories; I told her I had recently moved back home after living in Dallas for 23 years, introduced her to my daughter and said our see you laters.

As we continued to shop, I started to feel a little tired; so I told my daughter, “Let’s finish up so we can go home” so I could lie down. As we came down the drink aisle, I started to feel worse, and my left arm and hand were going numb.

I picked up my cell phone and started to call my doctor’s office. I was telling the nurse what was happening to me, and she couldn’t understand me because by this time, my speech was really slurring and my whole left side was going numb.

My daughter helped me to a bench in the middle of the store, took the phone and spoke with the nurse. By that time a Walmart employee approached me and asked if I was alright or if I needed help. My daughter told him to call 911, and he did so immediately. He said he would stay with us and send someone to the front to show the EMTs wehre we were.

Then someone sweetly said, “I am a RN, how can I help?”

She immediately assessed my condition, which I knew was serious since I have some medical background myself.

She asked all the right questions and got me some orange juice — my sugar level had dropped. I had started to hyperventilate.

She was trying to calm me, when I saw my sister come in. My daughter had called her.

She had fear for me in her eyes, and my daughter was crying and talking to one of my sons in Dallas telling him that she thought momma was having a stroke.

I saw Merdeces Green tearing up saying “Lord have mercy,” as she tried to use her phone. I saw Diane Whitley-Fleming pass by and smile and mumble “It’s going to be OK.” Mary Davis — the RN — never left my side, nor did Trenia Gooden, a CPA-unit secretary at Natchez Community Hospital.

The EMTs at American Medical Response were on top of the situation as they transported me to Community Hospital, where I received wonderful care.

I did have a TIA — mini-stroke — but this is not about me, but hometown folks who aren’t afraid to stop and help to offer some kind of assistance, even if only to say “Are you OK?”

So if you see these people or others helping out, give them a big thumbs up and thank you for me. These hometown folks step up to the plate with flying colors.

It’s good to be back home where folks still know how to help out.

Debra F. Harris-Johnson

Natchez resident