Sunday, June 5, 2022

‘She’s an angel’: Local high school student helps save elderly woman’s life

by: Jack Shea

AMHERST, Ohio (WJW) – A Lorain County high school student is being commended for her actions that police say saved the life of an elderly woman.

The 83-year-old victim slipped and fell off of the porch of her home in Amherst while trying to retrieve a package. The woman suffered a severe shoulder injury and could not move.

Her greatest fear was that she was going to freeze to death in the frigid conditions. 

Connie Cook told Fox 8, “I’d been there for maybe 15 minutes and it was one of the coldest days like today. No one was going to stop, I was waving, waving, waving and finally this young girl came.” 

Bella Dellipoala, a junior at Amherst Steele High School, was on her way home when she spotted the victim. She called 911 and grabbed a blanket to keep Cook warm until help arrived.

The 17-year-old told the 911 dispatcher, “I don’t want to move her just in case she has other injuries, but she has a really bad pain that she can feel.”

The victim says she was thoroughly impressed by Bella’s calm demeanor.  

“The questions that she asked me, I knew that she must have some medical experience. She said ‘Are you on blood thinners? Can you move your legs? Can you move your arm?’ and she was just a blessing to me.”

Because of Dellipoala’s actions, Cook got the medical attention she needed.

 The 83-year-old told FOX 8, “When I saw her, it was like an angel out of heaven. She’s going to help me.”

In response, Bella told us “I know if that was my grandmother, I’d want someone to stop and help her, so I just feel like it’s the right thing to do.”

The honor roll student says she knew what to do because of what she learned in her Medical Health Technology class at Amherst High.

It should come as no surprise that she plans on becoming a nurse, specializing in cases of trauma. 

One of the Amherst police officers who responded to the 911 call wrote a letter to Bella‘s med tech teacher, commending the 17-year-old.

“I think she saved that woman’s life, number one. I think that goes to show how she was raised, the family she comes from and the school, you know, that’s what you want to see in our future, is just someone that’s going to help,” said Officer Jacob Waryu. 

Bella says she appreciates the kind words, but adds, “I feel that’s just the right thing to do, even if you’re not comfortable stopping, you can always call and somebody can get there.”

Cook is now facing shoulder replacement surgery, and says she is looking forward to telling Bella how grateful she is. 

“She’s an angel. She’s going to do great things,” she said.


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