A hug of thanks for a heartwarming meal: Moncton firefighters cook patient dinner on emergency call

First responders are often hailed as heroes as they put their own lives at risk to save others. But earlier this week in Moncton, they proved they also have big hearts.

On Monday night, a team of firefighters was forced to smash through Kimberley Donald’s front door because she was passed out on her sofa unable to move.

“I was terrified. I thought I was going to die,” Donald said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I was terrified. I thought I was going to die," Donald said.

Donald suffers from Type 2 diabetes has not always made ideal choices in life. She struggles to eat healthy and she has been in trouble with the law and now lives on very limited means.

“It is hard for me to keep my diabetes regular when you can’t afford to eat,” Donald said.

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Earlier this week, when Donald’s blood sugar suddenly dropped dangerously low, she ended up laid out on her couch unable to move and was forced to dial 911

“The operator asked me if I was able to get to the door to unlock it and I said: ‘no, it would have to be forced entry,'” she said.

In their typical heroic way, firefighters smashed through that door along with paramedics to save her life but what they did next was both unexpected and heartwarming.

“They went into the kitchen and proceeded to cook me something to eat,” she said.

Seeing that Donald was still struggling to maintain her sugar levels, firefighters Bruno Gautreau and Wendy Barton went above and beyond.

“It was there and we were able to do it, so we cooked her some food,” Gautreau said.

Decked out in their uniforms, without an ounce of prejudice, they dug through Donald’s near-empty cupboards and became chefs.

“I was able to find a package of pasta,” said Gautreau. They also tracked down a can of corn.

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The meal wasn’t fancy, but Donald said: “It was delicious.” For the first time in a long time, she said, it made her feel loved and cared for.

“I did not know what to do I was like: ‘wow that is amazing,'” she said.

Now, since true heroes tend to be humble, the firefighters wanted to make sure that Global News also gave a shout out to other firefighters: Capt. Tim Rossiter, Lt. Jim Longphee and Mike Fougere and paramedics, Dylan Clark and Marcel Metti, on the scene.

They may not have cooked a meal, but they all stayed with Donald until she was strong enough to make it on her own.

“We always try to think that if it was our own family members that was involved in this crisis that we would want somebody to do the same for us,” said Gautreau