\n
\nNew to his job at a gas station, Marks wasn\u2019t entirely sure what to expect. He\u2019d only been working there for a month and was still getting the hang of things when something unexpected happened. A woman drove up to the service window, but she wasn\u2019t a customer. As Marks got a look at her, he suddenly realized that her life was hanging in the balance – and it was up to him to save her.
\n[post_page_title]Doing his duty[\/post_page_title]
\nWhen you go to work, your boss can expect you to go above and beyond to show your dedication to the job. However, that doesn\u2019t usually mean going out of your way to try and save someone\u2019s life.
\n
\nAnthony Marks, a worker at BP gas station, hadn\u2019t expected Independence Day to be anything special in 2018, but after a woman pulled up and mouthed the words \u201chelp me,\u201d that all changed. Thinking on his feet, Marks did what he could to come to her aid, but was he too late?
\n
\n[post_page_title]Struggling in the sun[\/post_page_title]
\nSummers might be known for being warm, but over the last few years, they\u2019ve been getting a bit too hot. Many countries around the world experienced a warmer summer than most would have liked in 2018, and it made life pretty unbearable.
\n
\nTemperatures in Steubenville, Ohio – where Marks lived and worked – reached an average of 83 degrees Fahrenheit in July, much higher than was normal for the area. Most of the U.S. was in the grips of an intense heatwave, and it had a devastating impact on people\u2019s lives.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Trying to keep cool[\/post_page_title]
\nPeople were advised to stay at home whenever possible to avoid exposing themselves to the overbearing heat outside. While they might not have been much more comfortable roasting indoors, at least there were ways for them to cool down there.
\n
\nAnyone with an AC unit had the fortune of being able to blast themselves with cold air, though that wasn\u2019t a luxury that everyone could afford. Unfortunately, sitting in front of an AC unit all day isn\u2019t very productive, and a lot of people had jobs to go to.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Had a job to do[\/post_page_title]
\nOne of those people was Anthony Marks. Although he would\u2019ve preferred not to work in the intense heat, he couldn\u2019t just stay at home. He\u2019d only been at the job for a month, and it wouldn\u2019t set a good impression if he stopped showing up all of a sudden.
\n
\nHe was dedicated to proving that hiring him had been the right thing to do, and the impending paycheck was an excellent incentive to keep at it. Little did he know just how much he\u2019d be needed at work that day.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Running some errands[\/post_page_title]
\nSomeone who hadn\u2019t had to worry too much about exposing herself to the heat was Crystal Ault. In the days leading up to July 4th, she\u2019d been able to avoid going outside.
\n
\nHowever, she couldn\u2019t stay indoors forever, and on Independence Day, she found herself needing to go out for several things. The journey she\u2019d planned was short, and she never imagined it would pose a threat to her life. After only getting a block away from home, disaster struck in the worst possible way.
\n
\n[post_page_title]A desperate plea[\/post_page_title]
\nFinding herself in serious trouble, Crystal tried desperately to think of where she could get help. It was then she noticed the BP station, Crystal drove over and stopped by the service window.
\n
\nThat\u2019s when she first set eyes on Marks. He\u2019d expected it to simply be another customer, but as she\u2019d pulled up, it was clear that wasn\u2019t the case. He immediately noticed that something wasn\u2019t right with the driver, but Crystal didn\u2019t know how to express herself. She was so distressed that she couldn\u2019t get her words out.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Lost for words[\/post_page_title]
\nCrystal wanted to speak, but nothing was coming out of her mouth. Although she couldn\u2019t use words to convey how much she needed Mark\u2019s help, her general demeanor made it clear that something wasn\u2019t right.
\n
\nLuckily, despite being effectively rendered mute, Crystal did find a way to ask for assistance. She mouthed the words \u201chelp me\u201d to the unsuspecting worker, prompting him to leap into action. If he hadn\u2019t already been certain that something was wrong, now it was crystal clear. This woman needed him to save her life.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Rushing to help[\/post_page_title]
\nMarks didn\u2019t think; he just acted. There was no time to waste – Crystal\u2019s life hung in the balance. He abandoned his station and rushed outside to her car, helping her out of it as she continued to be in great distress.
\n
\nHe had his theories about what was wrong with her, but he knew it was more important to get her somewhere safe first before doing anything else. By the time he\u2019d sat her down inside and given her a glass of water, she was able to communicate at last.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Can’t breathe[\/post_page_title]
\nThe reason that Crystal had been desperate for help was that she couldn\u2019t breathe. Given the state she\u2019d been in when she\u2019d pulled up to the service window, Marks had assumed it was something related to that, especially as he also suffered from breathing issues.
\n
\nHe\u2019d noticed the signs immediately, and knew that he couldn\u2019t just leave Crystal out there in her car while she was in such dire need. However, just because he\u2019d brought her inside didn\u2019t mean she was out of the woods yet.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Dealing with heatstroke[\/post_page_title]
\nThe difficulties she was having were related to heatstroke. The symptoms of this include dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and, evidently, shortness of breath. Considering that Ohio, along with the rest of the U.S., was dealing with an uncomfortable heatwave, the onset of heatstroke was far from a shock.
\n
\nThe illness is severe enough that it takes lives, with people all around the world passing away from it every year. Crystal was lucky to have stumbled upon her guardian angel, especially as her existing medical condition put her more at risk.
\n
\n[post_page_title]An unfortunate condition[\/post_page_title]
\nCrystal was previously diagnosed with emphysema, a disease that makes it difficult for her to breathe on occasion. There are ways to treat it, but as it stands, emphysema is not something that can be cured.
\n
\nThis is a degenerative disease that Crystal will have to live with forever, and there\u2019s every chance it could be the thing that ends her one day. Given the fact that heatstroke causes shortness of breath, it can be easy to see how the heatwave and her emphysema were a potentially fatal combination.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Medical assistance required[\/post_page_title]
\nCooling your body down isn\u2019t a quick fix for heatstroke. For serious cases, medical assistance is almost always essential. Marks knew that Crystal ought to be seen by a doctor, especially if she had existing breathing problems, but there was no time to get her to a hospital.
\n
\nShe was still struggling to breathe, and he was running out of time. Even though getting her inside helped cool her down a little, it didn\u2019t solve the problem. He needed a way to help her before it was too late.
\n
\n[post_page_title]The missing cure[\/post_page_title]
\nThings wouldn\u2019t have been such an issue if Crystal had kept her inhaler with her. This was something she always had in her possession in case of emergency, but her last one had run out.
\n
\nFiguring that her short trip outside wouldn\u2019t trigger an attack, Crystal had taken the risk of going out without one. Unfortunately, it was during the one time she didn\u2019t have it that she ended up needing her inhaler. Luckily, her guardian angel had a surprise in store that would give her the help she needed.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Coming to the rescue[\/post_page_title]
\nCrystal wasn\u2019t the only one who had problems with their breathing. Marks was in a similar position, which meant that he had his own supply of inhalers. Although he didn\u2019t have any on him, he did have some at home.
\n
\nChecking that Crystal\u2019s condition was stable enough for him to leave her alone, he rushed back to his place and grabbed one for her to use. When he returned, she was still in a reasonable condition, though she wasted no time taking his inhaler and finally getting her breath back.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Lifesaver[\/post_page_title]
\nCrystal hasn\u2019t been shy in admitting that Marks saved her life on Independence Day. If the BP worker hadn\u2019t been so quick to offer her assistance, there was every chance she could have succumbed to her heatstroke.
\n
\nHe went above and beyond to provide her help, and it\u2019s because of that that she\u2019s still here today. It\u2019s a stroke of luck that she happened upon someone who was not only happy to help, but who had the means to treat her particular condition. She couldn\u2019t have been more fortunate.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Following his heart[\/post_page_title]
\nAlthough Crystal has been more than complimentary towards Marks\u2019 actions, the man himself has tried to downplay what he did. In his eyes, he was just doing the right thing.
\n
\nThe way he’d responded to her distress call was no different from how he feels every other person should react when they see someone in need. He hopes that if the roles were reversed and he was the one struggling to breathe, others would show him the same level of care and concern that he offered to Crystal.
\n
\n[post_page_title]A watchful eye[\/post_page_title]
\nAs the inhaler slowly did its job, Marks kept his eye on Crystal. He wanted to make sure that she didn\u2019t have a relapse, and that she was in a stable enough condition before she went home.
\n
\nWhile she recovered, he offered her a drink and regularly checked up on her to ensure that she was doing okay. If Independence Day is supposed to be all about celebrating the American spirit, then Marks was undoubtedly making the most of the special occasion. What\u2019s more American than helping your fellow man?
\n
\n[post_page_title]Escorting her home[\/post_page_title]
\nWhen it came time for Crystal to go home, Marks didn\u2019t expect her to simply drive back by herself. He told her that he\u2019d escort her home if only to make sure she didn\u2019t have a repeat performance on her way back.
\n
\nCrystal was flattered by his offer, but she was confused – how was he going to return to work afterward? That\u2019s when he told her that he\u2019d drive her home in her car, then walk back to the gas station. He really was going the extra mile.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Forever grateful[\/post_page_title]
\nCrystal isn\u2019t sure if she\u2019ll ever find the words to truly express how grateful she is to Marks for saving her life. Even though everyone should display the same level of kindness that he did, she knows a lot of people wouldn\u2019t have endeavored to help her like that.
\n
\nCrystal even suggested that he get a job as a paramedic or policeman because he clearly has the passion and drive to care for others. While BP is lucky to have him, Marks\u2019 big heart is wasted working at a gas station.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Rewarded for his efforts[\/post_page_title]
\nMarks\u2019 efforts didn\u2019t go unrewarded that day. During a city council meeting a few weeks later, the worker was given a proclamation for the way he\u2019d acted when Crystal needed help.
\n
\nThe mayor of Steubenville, Jerry Barilla, was proud to have met with the young man and hopes that other people will follow in his footsteps. If more people were as observant as Marks, particularly during times of such intense weather, then the risk of people losing their lives would drop significantly.
\n
\n[post_page_title]An everyday hero[\/post_page_title]
\nAnthony Marks has now been commended as an everyday hero. His job might not have required him to go around saving lives, but when faced with the opportunity, he didn\u2019t hesitate to do the right thing.
\n
\nThe world would definitely be a better place if everyone acted like this man, but then Marks\u2019 achievements wouldn\u2019t be quite so significant. One thing\u2019s for sure, neither Crystal nor Marks will ever forget what they went through that day. Independence Day will forever have a new meaning in both their lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New to his job at a gas station, Marks wasn\u2019t entirely sure what to expect. He\u2019d only been working there for a month and was still getting the hang of things when something unexpected happened. A woman drove up to the service window, but she wasn\u2019t a customer. As Marks got a look at her, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":71734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n