I work at a popular fast food restaurant in a smallish rural town. The work is hard, but the people are awesome and management always has our backs. Unfortunately, I have a number of health problems that can go from zero to ICU in seconds. My coworkers know this and take great care of me with no judgment. I can’t begin to explain how utterly foreign and refreshing this is.
Several months ago, I had an episode. I was working in the drive-thru and vaguely remember suddenly not knowing what to do with the register, and then I was being gently guided to a chair while my coworker called an ambulance. My general manager stayed with me and told me I had nothing to apologize for; I was freaking out with guilt.
The hospital kept me for a few days, checked things out, adjusted some meds, and made a dozen follow-up appointments. They were very happy that everyone reacted so quickly because my blood pressure had spiked to dangerous levels. One nurse thought the machine was broken because it was so high.
People at work checked up on me and asked if I needed anything. Even though I was so sick, it felt amazing to be believed and taken care of. When I got back, they told me I suddenly went quiet and they rushed back to find me staring blankly at the screen. They jumped into action and gave my headset to a coworker.
The icing on the cake was that the customer I was speaking to called the store later — but not to complain! It was a lady from a local school and we were in the middle of a large, complex order. She said I was doing a great job and getting everything in and being so nice when the line went silent. She asked if I was okay! They didn’t give out details but said I had a medical issue and would be fine. She even asked them to send me her thanks and best wishes.
Having seen, been through, and read about so many horrible situations, this was mind-blowing. Good coworkers and good customers are out there.
This story is part of our end-of-year Feel Good roundup for 2022! This is the last story in the roundup, but we have plenty of others you might enjoy!
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Read the Feel Good 2022 roundup!