Dear Eric: Regarding the letter writer who was giving a $100 gift card for patching up the injured friend of her daughter (“Mom of a Wild Child”). I was taught during Community Emergency Response Training that bystanders are protected under Good Samaritan laws if we voluntarily provide emergency assistance to others—they cannot be sued for anything they do or attempt to do. However, the Good Samaritan cannot accept any compensation whatsoever to be covered by the law. We were told not to accept a stick of gum or a nickel for our help, or we could potentially be sued for damages. I doubt this person would be sued by the grateful mom, but it is possible.
The $100 gift card should be returned.
—Good Samaritan
Dear Good Samaritan: Thank you for this insight. It will definitely help in the future when/if I want to express my gratitude. The letter below is also in response to this question and offers a lovely alternative to monetary gifts.
Dear Eric: I had to smile when I read your article about the Good Samaritan receiving $100 for helping an injured child. While growing up in the ‘40s and ’50s, I lived on a single block-long, dead-end street where we must have had at least 15 or 20 kids. Someone was always getting hurt, mostly scratches and bruises, but once in a while, a broken bone. My mother, the only nurse on the block, was the local emergency room.
I don’t believe she ever received money for her efforts, and I doubt if she would have accepted it, if offered.
Although she didn’t reap the benefits of her work, I was the beneficiary. At her death, I received a number of letters telling me how grateful they were for what she had done. She also was the den mother of a Cub Scout pack that was so popular that she had to restrict the number of kids. She ran a disciplined pack that included crafts, games, and learning—not the typical babysitting den. I also received letters from mothers telling me what an influence she had had on their sons’ lives. Talk about being rewarded. No amount of money could replace the thanks she received, even though I was the beneficiary.
—Grateful Son
Dear Son: Thank you for sharing. And what a beautiful reminder to us all: It can be so impactful to tell those who mean something to us what they mean while they’re alive, and it can be equally impactful to share those stories with those they leave behind.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
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