Nice article from the Billings Gazette:
CASPER - A Wyoming man got through this weekend's blizzard to keep his appointment for a liver transplant at a Colorado hospital thanks to a personal escort from snowplow drivers with the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
Chuck Forbes, 59, of Meeteetse got the call on Saturday from the University of Colorado Hospital to come in for transplant surgery.
"He's been on the list for a year and he's had some kind of liver disease for 30 years," said his wife, Ruth Forbes. "We got a surprise call totally out of the blue at 7:30 on Saturday morning."
On their way south, the couple encountered a road-closed barrier at Wheatland during the blizzard that slammed southeastern Wyoming on Saturday afternoon. They called 911.
"The operator said, 'The road is closed, we've been forecasting this storm all week,'" Ruth Forbes said. "Then she said, 'Hang on, I'll get a patrolman to come talk to you.'"
Trooper Chuck Bloom arrived, talked to the couple and then returned to his patrol car.
"He came back to our car and said, 'If you wait right here, the area boss for WYDOT will be right here,'" Ruth Forbes said.
"In a matter of 10 minutes, we had a convoy of plow trucks," Ruth Forbes said.
The couple followed nearly on the bumper of a plow truck from Wheatland south to Chugwater in whiteout conditions. Other trucks joined in to plow a wider path.
In Cheyenne, one plow led them through the city. South of the city, an eighth snowplow driver got them to the state line.
They made it to the hospital at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Chuck Forbes underwent his liver transplant at 7 a.m. Sunday.
"He is having a heck of a time getting out of the anesthesia, but they say that's normal because of all of the meds he's on," Ruth said.
"But the transplant went wonderfully, and I hope those WYDOT guys know they performed a miracle," she said.
CASPER - A Wyoming man got through this weekend's blizzard to keep his appointment for a liver transplant at a Colorado hospital thanks to a personal escort from snowplow drivers with the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
Chuck Forbes, 59, of Meeteetse got the call on Saturday from the University of Colorado Hospital to come in for transplant surgery.
"He's been on the list for a year and he's had some kind of liver disease for 30 years," said his wife, Ruth Forbes. "We got a surprise call totally out of the blue at 7:30 on Saturday morning."
On their way south, the couple encountered a road-closed barrier at Wheatland during the blizzard that slammed southeastern Wyoming on Saturday afternoon. They called 911.
"The operator said, 'The road is closed, we've been forecasting this storm all week,'" Ruth Forbes said. "Then she said, 'Hang on, I'll get a patrolman to come talk to you.'"
Trooper Chuck Bloom arrived, talked to the couple and then returned to his patrol car.
"He came back to our car and said, 'If you wait right here, the area boss for WYDOT will be right here,'" Ruth Forbes said.
"In a matter of 10 minutes, we had a convoy of plow trucks," Ruth Forbes said.
The couple followed nearly on the bumper of a plow truck from Wheatland south to Chugwater in whiteout conditions. Other trucks joined in to plow a wider path.
In Cheyenne, one plow led them through the city. South of the city, an eighth snowplow driver got them to the state line.
They made it to the hospital at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Chuck Forbes underwent his liver transplant at 7 a.m. Sunday.
"He is having a heck of a time getting out of the anesthesia, but they say that's normal because of all of the meds he's on," Ruth said.
"But the transplant went wonderfully, and I hope those WYDOT guys know they performed a miracle," she said.
