A Buffalo woman is being hailed as a “true angel” after she took in a mentally disabled elderly man who became lost in the deadly snowstorm with severe frostbite.
Several areas across the U.S. were hit with an arctic blizzard Christmas weekend, with more than 30,000 people in Buffalo losing power. At least 34 people in the U.S. were killed by the severe storm.
While temperatures may have been cold, a local woman’s heart certainly was not.
The incident, which was posted by Kimberly LaRussa, who founded the blog “Sweet Buffalo,” unfolded Saturday night when a woman received a call that her 64-year-old brother, Joey, was in the care of a woman named Sha’kyra Aughtry.
“Hi, you don’t know me but I have your brother,” Aughtry reportedly said to Joey’s sister.
Joey’s sister said Joey works at The North Park Theater and likely became stuck there Thursday, according to LaRussa.
Joey allegedly decided to try and walk home Saturday in the middle of the deadly storm when Aughtry “heard someone crying and asking for help.”
Joey works at The North Park Theater so his sister believes he went there Thursday, got scared and stayed over, and then decided to walk back to his home. A woman named Sha’Kyra Aughtry heard someone crying and asking for help. pic.twitter.com/CSfS2Smc6S
— Kimberly LaRussa (@KimberlyLaRussa) December 26, 2022
Aughtry reportedly said her boyfriend Trent found Joe outside in a snow bank and had to carry him inside.
“Joey was so frozen they had to cut his socks off, use a hairdryer to dry his pants that were frozen to his legs, and cut the straps of a Wegmans bag from his hands.”
Aughtry “fed Joey, cleaned him, washed his clothes, gave him warm blankets and did everything she could to make him comfortable until she could find help.” (RELATED: Police Confirm Two Incidents Of Looting Amid Winter Storm In Buffalo)
La’Russa reported that Aughtry had Joey FaceTime his family to distract him from the pain. In the meantime, Aughtry begged for help on Facebook, prompting locals to come to Aughtry’s house and plow her driveway so that they could take Joey to the hospital for treatment.
This is such a heartfelt story, it’s almost unbelievable. Had it not been for Sha’Kyra, Joey would have died. The frostbite on Joey’s hands looked like it was turning gangrene. Helpless, Sha’Kyra posted a plea on Facebook for emergency help. pic.twitter.com/jHLwwEDlK3
— Kimberly LaRussa (@KimberlyLaRussa) December 26, 2022
Joey reportedly sustained fourth degree frostbite and is in the burn unit, LaRussa reported.