BLACKSBURG, Va. β Two maintenance workers at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery became heroes this weekend when they braved dangerous winter conditions to help save an infant's life.
Tyler Stanger, an engineering supervisor, and Tyler Underwood, a maintenance apprentice, were called into action Saturday morning. That is when hospital administrators asked them to make an emergency run for baby formula after a newborn, who needed a specific type of formula, arrived in the emergency room.
"My admin team called me and asked if we was able to run out to the store to pick up some formula for a baby that hadn't had anything to eat for three days," Stanger told WDBJ's Lindsey Cook.
Without hesitation, the two men "dropped everything" and jumped into their vehicle and headed out into treacherous road conditions.
"There was a lot of ice. A lot of snow was all over the ground. Ice was everywhere. We were sliding, but we made it to Walmart," Stanger recalled.
The challenging conditions weren't the only obstacle they faced. Neither maintenance worker had experience shopping for baby formula.
"We struggled to find it at first, but we... got the formula and got out," Underwood said. "And while we were getting out, we were trying to leave and I almost got stuck in the parking lot," Underwood said.
Despite the scary drive, both men said they were proud to help.
"It felt good. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to help somebody in need and help a family in need," Underwood said.
For Stanger, the mission provided a rare opportunity to directly impact patient care.
"It's not something that I get to do every day, directly to help out actual patients and stuff. We're more behind the scenes. But to be able to be almost directly involved with helping something, it was a super great feeling," Stanger said.
The pair typically handle behind-the-scenes maintenance at the hospital, managing equipment like pumps and air handlers while maintaining proper temperatures and humidity levels throughout the facility.
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