03/05/2025
We were able to house Kira for a couple weeks while Colin recovered ❤️🥰 so happy we could help!!
From sun-soaked Arizona to the welcoming heart of Wyoming, Nancy Mitchell shares her heartfelt gratitude. Her son's open-heart surgery journey turned into a love letter to Casper. Keep making a difference, one small act of kindness at a time. 💙
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Now that the dust has settled, I want the people of Casper (the Friendly City) to know just how very much we appreciate them.
On Dec. 28, my 48-year-old son Colin had a heart attack at Hogadon Ski Area. He was found by a kind doctor who was skiing that day. The doc gave him CPR and the Ski Patrol assisted with the AED (twice) to shock him back to life. He was airlifted by Wyoming Life Flight to Banner Wyoming Medical Center and was admitted to the ICU.
I live in Anthem, Ariz. Luckily a nurse found his phone and saw me as his emergency contact. I received the call informing me of Colin’s heart attack that day. Colin had moved to Casper in October 2024 after traveling throughout the West working remotely for a few years. No one in Casper knew him. He had no friends or family there.
The nurse also saw pictures of Colin with his dog, Kira, and asked me if I knew where his dog might be. I answered, “probably in his truck as she goes everywhere with him." That set things in motion to rescue Kira from Colin’s truck at the ski area and take her to the “metro shelter." A kind policewoman called to tell me she was safe and protected.
On Jan. 1, I flew from Arizona to Casper, arriving in early evening at the airport. I called my first Uber ever and met Jeff, a kind driver who whisked me off to the hospital to see Colin on the eve of his scheduled open-heart surgery the next morning.
I called another Uber to get to Colin’s apartment that evening and another to pick me up the next morning at 5:30 to go see him before his triple bypass surgery. Then, while he was in the operating room, I made a plan to go retrieve his truck up in the parking lot at Hogadon.
I called another Uber to get me there. I think his name was Brian.
As we neared the top there was ice on the roads and switchback turns like I never imagined. When we got there the truck was covered with snow. Brian generously offered to brush off the truck for me!
I entered the ski lodge and saw a ski patroller. His name was Robert.
I explained I was there to pick up Colin’s truck and ski equipment and he took me to the Ski Patrol building where I met many of his fellow patrollers. He introduced me as the mom of the “miracle man” who had the heart attack and everyone was so kind and caring asking all about Colin.
They said they wanted to take a run with him when he recovers and that he will get a season’s pass for next year as he didn’t get to use his this year. They also noticed I was a bit nervous about driving the truck back down those twisty, icy turns and Pat (I will never forget her) offered to drive me and the truck back to the hospital!
More kindness followed.
After a very successful surgery, performed by Dr. Robert Phillips, a kind nurse, Tara, noticed how worried Colin was about his pup being in a shelter. So, she talked to me and put me in touch with Fur Pet’s Sake owner, Lindsey. One day later Lindsey picked Kira up and took her to her facility where, when I visited Kira, she was busy playing with other dogs and seemed as happy as possible given her situation. Thank you, Lindsey and Tara!
It’s not possible to name all of the kindness from all of the people in Casper, but I have to mention a few more. Thank you to the kind man who delivered my suitcase from the airport at 11:30 the night I arrived and then proceeded to shovel the 20 steps he climbed up to get to Colin’s apartment. Thank you to the nice man at the concierge parking desk at Banner Wyoming Medical Center who helped me figure out what car I should choose for my mountainous Uber ride. He also greeted me and said goodbye every single day I was there.
Thank you to the numerous nurses, PTs and OTs who encouraged Colin and greatly enhanced his recovery. And a very special thank you to Jenny Burke, cardiothoracic physician assistant at Banner Wyoming Medical Center, who was on Ski Patrol the day of Colin’s attack. She was with Colin on the mountain and throughout his entire hospital stay she encouraged and supported him until he went home. Thank you, Jenny!
I hope to visit Casper again when I have more time to slow down and enjoy the amenities it has to offer. Until then I will always remember the many kindnesses of your great, friendly city.
