By FireRescue1 Staff
NEW YORK CITY — For one Arizona firefighter, serving his community is his passion — even if that means doing it on the other side of the country.
Phoenix Fire Capt. Gary Hernandez was on vacation in NYC with his family when he happened to dine next to another vacationing family who had at one point lived in Arizona. Hernandez shared a brief chat with Natalie Stafford, 13, and her grandparents before carrying on with his meal.
However, 20 minutes after Stafford’s family left the diner, Hernandez saw they had returned; Natalie had lost her money and purse.
Hernandez and his family helped Natalie search for her wallet, but to no avail. Hernandez came up with a different plan.
“We walked over and gave her some money. ‘We know it’s your birthday. Happy Birthday. We want this memory to be a great experience in New York City,’” Hernandez told KPHO.
The following day, a colleague told Hernandez that his name was all over social media, and that the hashtag #LIVELIKEGARY had gained traction. Natalie’s mother, Rachel Stafford, was trying to find Hernandez and thank him for his kind gesture.
“You did more than redeem a moment, a day, a trip … you redeemed humanity in the eyes of a 13-year-old girl,” Stafford wrote on Facebook. “And I wanted you to know what she said about you and what she will remember about that trip forever because of you. I hope this message reaches you.”