On Sundays I write about individuals whom we should respect because
of a variety of different reasons.
Valerie Johnson certainly showed impressive determination on Feb 24.
From The Epoch Times
She is a South Carolina woman who tripped on the way to a polling place on Feb. 24 and broke her hip. 911 was called, but she refused to be loaded into an ambulance unless she could cast her vote.
She is now recovering from hip surgery at an area hospital following her fall in the parking lot on the way to a polling place at the White Knoll High School in Lexington, South Carolina. She told The Epoch Times that she tripped over her own feet when she was hurrying in to vote. Ms. Johnson, who is in her 60s, said she was in a great deal of pain after she fell but was determined to vote.
“I told myself, I’m going to get there and vote. No matter if I got to crawl there,” she said.
Brian Shiel, a local security guard who was volunteering at the polling place that day, said he saw Ms. Johnson fall and called 911. “She was hurting, really hurting,” he said, adding that she had to be loaded onto a stretcher.
Mr. Shiel told The Epoch Times that he was shocked when she refused to be taken to the hospital until after she cast her vote.
Mr. Shiel said he admired Ms. Johnson’s dedication to her civic duty to vote.
“[There are] a lot of people who won’t even go out to the polls if it’s raining,” he said.
Because Ms. Johnson was lying on the ground, the curbside voting machine had to be taken down from the cart and placed on the ground. The machine is usually wheeled to a car and lifted toward the window.To qualify for curbside voting in Lexington County, you have to either be 65 years or older or unable to walk or stand.
“Ms. Johnson definitely qualified,” said Lenice Shoemaker, director of registrations and elections in Lexington County!
3/3/