GUELPH - A local letter carrier was in the right place at the right time when she was able to help a woman on her route in medical distress.
Tracy Gutcher has worked for Canada Post for two and a half years. She is a full-time relief letter carrier at the Guelph depot and does a variety of things day to day, one of which is delivering mail.
While on route July 23 she was approaching St. George's Park and saw an elderly woman waving her arms. It caught her attention. The elderly woman said her daughter had passed out. The senior has dementia and was confused about what was going on but knew something was wrong.
She took Gutcher to her home. The daughter was in distress and was unconscious, said Gutcher. She immediately called 911.
It took just over six minutes for help to arrive, said Gutcher.
The following day she had the same route and spoke with the woman’s son who was at the house. He was waiting to speak with a postal worker to ask questions about what happened. Gutcher kept in contact with the family.
“So I talked to all the children and they thanked me and called me their hero,” she said.
The woman survived and spent a couple days in the hospital.
Gutcher’s mom died just over a year ago. “I lost my mom, but then I saved a mom. So that's the way I looked at it. It’s just right time, right place thank God,” she said.
“It was traumatizing for me but not so much in a bad way once I got the good news,” said Gutcher.
The family of the woman she saved wanted to remain anonymous and told Gutcher she could speak on their behalf.
She was touched that the family was so thankful. They thought of her as a hero. Gutcher was humble and said she did what she had to do.
As the adrenaline wore off the reality of the situation kicked in for her. “I had a few tears and I’m just really happy that everyone’s okay,” she said.
With her job as a letter carrier she sees people day-to-day and is observant of her surroundings. Nothing like this has happened to her before.
She believes there are probably other similar stories her fellow posties have been a part of over their years of service but may have not been recognized.
“I did something really nice and I hope that puts a smile on people's faces,” she said.
Gutcher and the woman she helped save are planning a time to meet as soon as their schedules lineup.