One early morning I received a phone call from the Hamilton County Sheriffs Department regarding the front door of my 90-year-old mother's house being open. The night before a lady friend of ours noticed the door open. On her way to work the next morning she noticed the door still open. She immediately called to report that something just was not right at the Sertel house.
My mother, 90-years-young lived alone and her dear friend, Joan Mize, made the call that no doubt saved her life.
After receiving the call I jumped into my vehicle and headed to her house. What I found literally scared me to death. Without going into the awful details, I will tell you my mother was within minutes of going into shock. I called 911 and in no time she was on her way to Memorial Hospital. During the next 24 days at Memorial it was discovered my mother had cancer on top of all of her injuries that resulted from a terrible fall.
She is now recovering and doing well thanks to a alert neighbor and friend. It is people like Joan Mize who was concerned enough to make that phone call that has given my mother a new lease on life.
John Sertel
Chattanooga