Elderly Portadown man cries in relief after local girl Katie hitches a lift with boatman to deliver essential medication
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When the delivery driver for Hamill’s Pharmacy in Thomas Street couldn’t reach one of their elderly customers on Tuesday afternoon, mum-of-two Katie, who works at the pharmacy sprang into action.
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The 27-year-old Portadown native, who has two children, Ollie aged 6 and Florrie aged 2, is being hailed a hero by work colleagues and neighbours for her ingenuity in getting the medication to her customer.
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Katie revealed: “A wee man, aged 76, was stuck in his house due to the floods. He was at the very front of his house God love him and he wouldn’t leave his house. He was on weekly medication so he needed his prescription.”
She knew how serious it was and enlisted the help of her neighbour Barry McCann. “I rang him and asked if there is any chance we could go round and deliver the medication. God help the wee man. He started to cry when we went to the door because he thought he wasn’t going to get his tablets. It was so sad and he was so thankful God love him.”
Katie explained that Barry, who lives near her in Ashgrove Lodge, had been out helping during the floods as he has a boat on the River Bann. “He got his boat out and that is how we got the medication to the elderly man.
"When we got to him he started crying and we knew there and then that he was very thankful we were there,” said Katie who revealed that the elderly man was evacuated from his home this morning. “A lot of houses in that area were evacuated. It’s just terrible in Woodgrove and it just keeps rising. There’s the Corcrain River and then the Bann River as well. It’s spread right across the fields.”
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Colleague Alana Byrne from Hamill’s Pharmacy praised Katie for getting the boatman Barry McCann when she realised the elderly customer was stuck at home and unable to get his medication.