It was 6 o'clock on Thursday evening and I was about to leave my home for my 7 o’clock tennis game, when the telephone rang. It was our friend Ruth who lived in the neighborhood. She lived alone, having been divorced and her children were all married. She said she was having a heart attack and would I take her to the hospital? I said I would call an ambulance, but she refused wanting me to take her to the hospital. I said I would be right over and when I came there I said I would take her to the then Booth Memorial Hospital which was no more than 15 minutes away. She refused saying she wanted to be taken to a hospital in Manhattan which was near her doctor and where her parents resided. I said that was ridiculous and we must go to Booth Memorial. She refused and said If I would not take her to where she wanted to go, I should leave?
The choice facing me was extremely troubling, but I was unaware of what else I could do. Ruth got into my car and off I went to Manhattan knowing it would take with traffic, at least an hour to get there. So there I was driving with Ruth sitting next to me moaning she was having a heart attack. The thought I could be driving with a deceased person sitting next to me, was very upsetting. Fortunately she was alive when I arrived at the hospital Ruth wanted.
I ran in and told I had a person in my car who may be having a heart attack. They rushed out, and took Ruth into the hospital. She was indeed having a heart attack, but she recovered and decades later she is still alive.
I could nevertheless have taken Ruth to the local hospital, but I was concerned she could become even more agitated. If saving Ruth’s life makes me a hero, I believe a better description would be a STUPID HERO.
Ben Haber
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