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08-03-06, 04:11 PM
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Local News Thursday, August 03, 2006
Tragedy spurs open hearts, pockets
Marine returns home to learn daughter killed in traffic accident
BY DAVID J. LEE
Odessa American
It wasn’t the homecoming he expected.
U.S. Marine Sgt. Rodney Lane arrived Tuesday at Midland International Airport from Camp Lejune, N.C., looking forward to a week of convalescence with his family in Colorado City, following a shoulder surgery.
Instead, at the airport, he was told that his family had been in an auto accident that killed his 1-year-old daughter and sent his wife and another child to University Medical Center in Lubbock.
“My wife was released from the hospital today,” Lane, 34, said Wednesday via telephone from Lubbock.
“Our daughter, Asia, is still in the burn intensive care unit, but she’s doing magnificent,” he said. “She’s burned pretty badly, but she’s doing excellent. Our other daughter, August, and son, Collin, don’t have a scratch on them.”
And though he’s surrounded with tragedy, Lane said there’s still a bright spot. Midland Fire Department paramedic Eric Smith went out of his way Tuesday to help Rodney Lane get to Lubbock — forking over $1,300 to a private plane company to get the eight-year Marine veteran to his family.
“He did it out of the kindness of his heart,” Lane said. “What he did, it’s immeasurable. It gives me hope that there’s still something to say about the human spirit. That all is not lost and just residual kindness does still exist.”
Smith said he was working at the Midland Fire Department station at the airport about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when they got a call about a hysterical man in the airport. Inside, the firefighters found Lane, who’d just learned of his family’s tragedy.
“We didn’t know what to do with this guy,” Smith said. “Rodney was ready to get out of there, but no one flies into Lubbock.”
“I called Deer Horn, a private aviation place, and they said they would do it for $1,800,” Smith said. “When they learned the circumstances, they said they could do it for $1,300. I said I’d pay for it, and I had him sent to Lubbock.”
Four co-workers, as well as Reaction Chemical of Odessa, later offered to help Smith pay for the plane ticket.
“They just needed some help,” Smith said. “There’s no doubt. I’d be willing to do it for anybody. You see somebody in that kind of need, you just have to help.
“I don’t know if you know what a firefighter makes, but it’s not much,” Smith said. “I just tried to put myself in his place.”
Smith continued to work for the Lane family, setting up a trust fund at West Texas State Bank for the Lanes.
“This guy’s going to need a lot of help,” Smith said. “The money is going to the family for funeral expenses and medical expenses. They’re going to need lots of stuff and lots of help.”
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I WILL FIND OUT ALL INTEL ON SENDING $$$$, OK!!! :123:
ALL OF THE BAD LUCK, IT GONNA HURT BIG TIME
Fund RAISER to help family:
West State bank:
1501 w. W UNVERSIRTY, PHONE # 432-337-285
SOURCE: http://oaoa.com/news/nw080306a.htm
http://www.thesquadbay.com/forum2/Smileys/default/handsalute.png
Local News Thursday, August 03, 2006
Tragedy spurs open hearts, pockets
Marine returns home to learn daughter killed in traffic accident
BY DAVID J. LEE
Odessa American
It wasn’t the homecoming he expected.
U.S. Marine Sgt. Rodney Lane arrived Tuesday at Midland International Airport from Camp Lejune, N.C., looking forward to a week of convalescence with his family in Colorado City, following a shoulder surgery.
Instead, at the airport, he was told that his family had been in an auto accident that killed his 1-year-old daughter and sent his wife and another child to University Medical Center in Lubbock.
“My wife was released from the hospital today,” Lane, 34, said Wednesday via telephone from Lubbock.
“Our daughter, Asia, is still in the burn intensive care unit, but she’s doing magnificent,” he said. “She’s burned pretty badly, but she’s doing excellent. Our other daughter, August, and son, Collin, don’t have a scratch on them.”
And though he’s surrounded with tragedy, Lane said there’s still a bright spot. Midland Fire Department paramedic Eric Smith went out of his way Tuesday to help Rodney Lane get to Lubbock — forking over $1,300 to a private plane company to get the eight-year Marine veteran to his family.
“He did it out of the kindness of his heart,” Lane said. “What he did, it’s immeasurable. It gives me hope that there’s still something to say about the human spirit. That all is not lost and just residual kindness does still exist.”
Smith said he was working at the Midland Fire Department station at the airport about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when they got a call about a hysterical man in the airport. Inside, the firefighters found Lane, who’d just learned of his family’s tragedy.
“We didn’t know what to do with this guy,” Smith said. “Rodney was ready to get out of there, but no one flies into Lubbock.”
“I called Deer Horn, a private aviation place, and they said they would do it for $1,800,” Smith said. “When they learned the circumstances, they said they could do it for $1,300. I said I’d pay for it, and I had him sent to Lubbock.”
Four co-workers, as well as Reaction Chemical of Odessa, later offered to help Smith pay for the plane ticket.
“They just needed some help,” Smith said. “There’s no doubt. I’d be willing to do it for anybody. You see somebody in that kind of need, you just have to help.
“I don’t know if you know what a firefighter makes, but it’s not much,” Smith said. “I just tried to put myself in his place.”
Smith continued to work for the Lane family, setting up a trust fund at West Texas State Bank for the Lanes.
“This guy’s going to need a lot of help,” Smith said. “The money is going to the family for funeral expenses and medical expenses. They’re going to need lots of stuff and lots of help.”
-------------------
I WILL FIND OUT ALL INTEL ON SENDING $$$$, OK!!! :123:
ALL OF THE BAD LUCK, IT GONNA HURT BIG TIME
Fund RAISER to help family:
West State bank:
1501 w. W UNVERSIRTY, PHONE # 432-337-285
SOURCE: http://oaoa.com/news/nw080306a.htm
http://www.thesquadbay.com/forum2/Smileys/default/handsalute.png