My mother had a serious stroke while on vacation. When she was able to fly home, I met her at the airport to help transfer her to the rehab hospital.

I arranged for a wheelchair and got a gate pass. I introduced myself to the gate agent, who explained that people needing wheelchairs would be the last ones off the plane, and that someone would go in to get her.

I was therefore horrified to see Mom walking unsteadily down the jetway with only my father to guide her. I ran to get a wheelchair while neither the gate agent nor the person with the electric cart offered any assistance.

The woman driving the cart then resisted taking us together to baggage claim. Because my mother's stroke has affected her ability to speak and my father had had a grueling week, I agreed to push Mom in the wheelchair instead.

Rolling Mom onto the airport train was no problem, but I got stuck trying to roll her off. The floor level outside is slightly higher than that on the train, and I couldn't manage to push her up and over the ledge. A fellow passenger suggested tipping her backward.

This is in principle a good idea, except I'm the runt of the family, and I was terrified of letting my mother fall backwards.

Fortunately another passenger saw my predicament. He raced ahead to lift the front of the wheelchair while I pushed Mom off the train -- and then disappeared before I could thank him.

I'm glad there are people who make it their job to help when there's a need. Thank you, sir!

-- S. FULTON, Point Breeze

Our grandson was born nine weeks early and transferred to intensive care at West Penn Hospital.

On our first visit, we were leaving the hospital when we found it raining very heavily. My husband told me to wait while he walked the block to the parking garage. I told him to wait to see if the rain slowed a bit.

As we waited, a West Penn Hospital police officer pulled up and told us to get in -- she would take us to the parking garage. She drove us right to our car and even showed us how to use the walkover to the garage on our next trip.

Thanks to all of the staff for their wonderful care of our grandson -- and to the officer who kept us dry.

-- SHELLEY JOYCE, Penn Hills

This is a long overdue thank you to the people who were so kind and attentive when my husband fell ill in the parking lot at Stein Mart on McKnight Road on March 17.

Special thanks to the nurse who attended to him and the person who called 911. Also thank you to the manager of Stein Mart who brought paper towels.

We will never forget these kind and considerate people. God bless you all.

-- R. KNAUS, Pine

Last week, my husband was taking my 17-year-old son's motorcycle to get fixed. He was taking it to South Park, which is pretty far from where we live in Cranberry.

The pouch-like bag on the front of the bike fell off. Inside the pouch was my son's driver's license, credit cards and other important cards. When we realized what had happened, we immediately canceled the credit cards.

The next day in the mail arrived a package --with my son's wallet in it and all of the contents of the wallet. Also inside the package was a note from James from the Hazelwood post office. He wrote that a postal customer had found it outside the post office. He said if my son had any questions, to please call, and left a phone number.

I immediately called and James answered the phone. I explained who I was and told him about the wallet. I told him our family was very grateful for both of them that day. Whoever the postal customer was that day: Thank you, thank you.

And to James who sent it back to us right away, thank you.

-- BARBARA MILLER, Cranberry