I have a friend from work who’s been making monthly trips from North Carolina to New York for cancer treatments. Just imagine the toll—physically, emotionally, financially—of making that journey while also fighting for your life. But she’s strong. Quietly brave. The kind of person who doesn’t ask for help unless she absolutely has to.
A few months ago, on one of those long drives home, her car broke down on the interstate—alone, exhausted, and just an hour outside Wilmington.
Roadside assistance couldn’t find an open tow company (small Southern towns on a Sunday, you know the story). They told her to call 911.
Enter: Trooper Garganus.
Here’s what she shared about that day:
“On my way back from chemo in NYC, my car overheated. Trooper Garganus arrived and immediately got to work—he added water to the radiator and followed me five miles to a gas station. But the pump was dry again. That’s when he noticed the coolant overflow hose had a crack. So he literally handmade a part on the spot to patch it, just to get me back on the road.
My phone had died too, so he charged it in his patrol car. Then, he gave me a brand-new portable charger he had in his car—said he hadn’t used it and wanted me to have it in case I broke down again. He followed me another 20 miles, just to make sure I made it safely.
He stayed with me for over an hour and a half—not because it was required, but because he cared.”
Let that sink in.
This wasn’t just a job for Trooper Garganus. This was compassion in action. Quiet, steady kindness from someone who had no idea she was driving home from chemotherapy. No idea she was running on fumes—in more ways than one.
He didn’t know her story, but he showed up anyway. And because of that, she made it home safely.
Sometimes, the helpers wear uniforms. Sometimes, they carry tools in their trunks and phone chargers in their glove boxes. Sometimes, they’re the reason someone gets through the day.
So to Trooper Garganus—thank you. For doing more than your job. For reminding us that real service comes with empathy. And for being exactly who someone needed, right when they needed it most.
May we all be a little more like you. 💙
