PASCO COUNTY, Fla. -- Firefighters in Pasco County took on a new job to help out a family.
- Man has heart attack while laying sod
- Firefighters transport man to local hospital
- Pasco fire returns to home to complete yard work
A father was laying down sod when he suddenly had a heart attack.
After the firefighters came and took him to the hospital, they went back to the house and finished the sod work.
Gene Work had saved up for months to buy new sod at his home in Hudson. When he was laying it down on Saturday, he suddenly didn’t feel well.
''I told him that I’m calling 911,'' said his wife Melissa. ''This isn’t normal. He’s like 'no, it will pass. I need to finish my grass."
It didn't pass. After calling 911, firefighters quickly arrived, bringing Gene to a hospital where he found out he was having a heart attack -- a surprise at just age 40.
As he recovered from an emergency procedure, Melissa came to him with something he never expected: Pictures of the firefighters finishing his sod work.
''As soon as I got out of the procedure, she showed me the pictures. I just bawled ... I wasn’t even thinking about my own health. I just couldn’t believe they did that,'' Gene said.
He was blown away seeing that the same Pasco County firefighters had returned to the house and finished up the sod work he’d been doing.
''It was overwhelming,'' Melissa said.
Gene’s brother-in-law was at the house and snapped the photos when the firefighters came back.
''They hopped out, put their gloves on and said they wanted to put the sod down. They said he knew he wasn’t going to be able to when he gets out,'' Melissa said.
The couple says this was a tremendous help as it saved the sod and let them avoid an HOA fee.
Melissa is also going through a lot as she is awaiting a bone marrow transplant in August.
The say this act of kindness went a long way for the family.
''It’s beautiful. I don’t even have the right words for it. We just cry when we think about it,'' Gene said.
The couple thanked the firefighters on Facebook, in a post that’s gone viral.
They are hoping to meet the first responders to thank them in person soon.
