'Thank you for saving my mom's life': Daughter searches for Good Samaritan in Dover
DOVER — A woman is searching for the Good Samaritan she credits with saving her mother’s life last weekend.
Michelle Cook was looking at the clock Sunday afternoon, and when her teenage son was running later than usual, she decided to ping his phone on the Find My iPhone app. He was on his way home, but she noticed her mother’s phone last pinged her at an unusual location — Portsmouth Regional Hospital. In a confused state, she called her mother, Gisele Tibbets, who lives in Dover, and got no answer.
Cook, who lives in Plaistow, called the hospital and sure enough, Tibbets was there with injuries sustained from a fall.
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“The ER told me that she was unconscious and hypothermic,” Cook said, noting Sunday evening's cold temperatures prior to Monday's storm. “Someone called EMS after finding her. She was outside, hit her head and was bleeding. It was very unnerving, and such a helpless feeling as a daughter to know I couldn’t help. At first, I feared the worst. Tuesday she opened her eyes, and she’s responsive but she is confused.”
According to police, a Dover ambulance transported a woman who had fallen near 279 Central Ave., on Sunday around 5:30 p.m. Tibbets lives on Henry Law Ave., so Cook believes she had gone out for a walk. Cook is still piecing the incident together.
“Had this person not found her and called 911 when they did, there’s a good chance she might not be with us right now,” Cook said. “There is hemorrhage swelling on her brain, but she's getting better thankfully. She's got a long road ahead of her, but I just want to be able to thank this person because I truly believed they saved my Mom’s life.”
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Cook posted in local Dover Facebook groups to try to find the person who stopped to help her mother. Cook said she knew it was a longshot but she wants to personally thank the person. So far she hasn't found them, but she isn't giving up hope.
Tibbets is 72 and a longtime Dover resident. Cook said that once her mother retired as a business owner, she was a caretaker for her husband, who died several years ago. Cook said her mother loves spending time with family more than anything.
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“I’m so grateful,” Cook said. “If I could speak to the person that helped her, I would say, 'Thank you for saving my mother's life. I hate to think what would have happened if you didn't find her when you did. You are the reason she’s still here with us today.' I'm just grateful that someone stopped and helped her.”
Cook also wants to thank the first responders and nurses who are caring for her mother.
“Seeing what the ER looks like right now in these uncertain times, I see how hard these nurses and doctors are working,” Cook said. “They have been amazing, and have taken such good care of my mother. I know she’s in good hands.”
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Michelle Cook searches for person who saved her elderly mother's life
