Stranger helped injured Great Harwood mum, 86, in street

A Great Harwood woman has thanked a kind stranger who helped her mum who was bleeding profusely in the middle of the street.

Doreen Chadwick, 86, was in Arthur Street, Great Harwood, when she cut her leg open on her car door.

Doreen’s daughter, Liz, now wants to thank a passing stranger who stopped to help and get her mum the medical attention she needed.

Doreen Chadwick cut her leg on a car door (Image: Liz)

Liz, from Great Harwood, said: “Mum is usually very independent.

"She drove herself to the hairdressers. She gave the car door a heck of a shove and the bottom corner of the door cut her leg.

"At the time she didn’t realise how bad it was but there was blood all down the pavement.”

A passing dog walker, later identified as Laura, insisted on helping Doreen and remained calm despite the significant amount of blood.

Liz said: “A passing dog walker stopped and asked if she was okay.

"Mum said she was okay, although she was losing a lot of blood at this point.

“Laura insisted that she wasn’t okay, making her sit back in the car.

“Susan, mum’s hairdresser, arrived a few minutes later but she isn’t great with blood and went into a bit of a panic.

“Laura was fabulously helpful in telling Susan what to do, including getting towels. She called an ambulance and she remained very calm.

“She stayed until I arrived and waited with her for around 20 minutes.

“Once we arrived she had left and we realised we didn’t get her name.”

Doreen Chadwick cut her leg on a car door (Image: Liz)

The gash needed 16 stitches and Doreen was in and out of consciousness at Royal Blackburn Hospital, due to a significant amount of blood loss.

“The first responders thought it might be an arterial cut because there was blood everywhere,” Liz said.

“Mum was in and out of consciousness. Everything was just blood-soaked.

“She had 16 stitches and it was very deep. They thought they might have to get plastic surgeons to fix it.

“If Laura hadn't of stopped to help, Mum could have been unconscious on the pavement, with even worse injuries.

“She is still exhausted because she lost so much blood but it could have been an awful lot worse without Laura.”

Doreen Chadwick had to be taken to hospital after losing a lot of blood (Image: Liz) After posting to Facebook trying to track down the good Samaritan, Liz managed to find Laura and briefly spoke to her in the comments.

The Lancashire Telegraph has reached out to Laura for a comment but has not received a response. 

Liz said: “I have briefly spoken to her through Facebook. I have also sent her a Facebook message but she hasn’t replied.

"She is probably embarrassed because she just did the right thing - but so many other people [wouldn’t do the same].

“It is brilliant that she took time out of her day to help, even though Mum insisted she was okay because she was in shock.”