“Shut up and listen.”
When ScottsMiracle-Gro truck drivers Dusty and Josh talk on a daily basis, their conversations are filled with jokes, regularly busting each other’s chops like longtime friends do.
Last December, when Josh answered Dusty’s call, something was different. Josh started with a joke, but Dusty stopped him quickly and with emphasis. “I didn’t know if I would be able to explain what was happening more than once,” Dusty recalled.
Dusty didn’t know it at the time, but he was having a stroke.
Quite a scare
Dusty was on a route near Marengo, Ohio, when he felt something coming on and knew he was in trouble. Scared and disoriented, he managed to safely pull his 18-wheeler to the side of the road. He needed to act quickly and decisively. He immediately thought of his partner on the road. Because Josh has strong attention to detail, Dusty knew he could tell him what was happening and where he was without having to repeat himself.
When Josh received the phone call, a relaxing family trip to the zoo turned into an anxiety-filled ride to Dusty’s side. As he drove to Dusty, Josh’s mind was racing with all of the what-ifs. “I was really afraid [of the possibility] that he wouldn’t ever be able to come back to work,” Josh explained.
Josh made it to Dusty just after the State Highway Patrol arrived. They waited with Dusty for the ambulance, then Josh parked Dusty’s truck in a safe location and followed the ambulance to the hospital.
Road to recovery
After running extensive tests, doctors let Dusty know he had a mild stroke, but expected him to fully recover. The staff let Dusty know he had minimal damage. Josh drove back to the hospital the next day to see how Dusty was doing. Once the jokes started going back and forth, Josh knew Dusty was feeling a little better.
“Every week that goes by, I feel a bit more like myself,” Dusty shared. “Thank goodness it was minimal damage, and I have medicine to help prevent it from happening again. It really puts things into perspective, teaches you to calm down.”
The Orrville team worked with Dusty to make sure it was safe to be on the road again, and Dusty is back in the cab doing what he’s been doing his whole career.
Being there for one another
Josh’s actions on that December day are truly inspirational. He was there for his co-worker and friend. It’s an example of the way our associates are there for each other. If we take a step back, there are lessons to be learned from Josh and Dusty from a work and life perspective.
– Look out for each other, because life can come at you fast and unexpectedly
– Respect others – especially truck drivers – on the road
– Keep things in perspective and remember what’s truly important in life
Lastly, if your good friends tell you to shut up and listen, you better do so, because odds are, they have something really important to say.
Learn the symptoms of a stroke
From the American Stroke Association: By learning and sharing the F.A.S.T. warning signs, you just might save a life from stroke.
Visit the American Stroke Association website for more information.
