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Mishawaka man and his mother grateful for stranger's help

Charles Matherly and his mother, Sue Barbour, of Mishawaka.
Provided
Charles Matherly and his mother, Sue Barbour, of Mishawaka.

This Christmas could be a little less painful for a Mishawaka woman, thanks to a Good Samaritan.

On Friday 77-year-old Sue Barbour was walking from her car to her home on West Broadway in Mishawaka when she lost her balance and fell. It was cold out and Barbour was alone without her phone.

After she lie there a few minutes, Xayen Brevard was driving by. He saw her, stopped and got out to help her up, and drove off.

Barbour lives with her son, Charles Matherly, but he was at work. He’d received a motion alert from security cameras he’s set up around the house in case she falls.

Matherly says his mom fractured a leg bone and could need surgery but her injuries were likely lessened by Brevard’s quick action. Hoping to thank him, he posted the security video footage on Facebook where it was ultimately seen by Brevard’s mother, Tracy Coates. She helped the men connect.

"There's so much negativity going on in our community and around the world, that when I seen this young man help my mom, who, this guy has absolutely no idea who she is... and to see that, it really made me want to reach out, find him, and see if I can offer him to pay for Christmas dinner or something for his family."

But Matherly says Brevard wanted nothing in return.

"He respectfully declined to take any money or any gift cards or anything from us. That boy was definitely raised right."

Parrott, a longtime public radio fan, comes to WVPE with about 25 years of journalism experience at newspapers in Indiana and Michigan, including 13 years at The South Bend Tribune. He and Kristi have two children currently attending Indiana University in Bloomington. In his free time he enjoys fixing up their home, following his favorite college and professional sports teams, and watching TV (yes that's an acceptable hobby).