Sharon Sutherland, a teacher from Anderson County, Kentucky woke up one day at 3 a.m. with the thought that she needs to donate her car to someone in need, which eventually turned out to be a Mayfield tornado survivor who lost everything.
Faithwire reported that Sutherland told her husband about what she planned to do with her Dodge Stratus, and he agreed.
"I had decided to sell (the car), I had gotten the book value and everything and then this happened with the storm. I woke up literally at 3 o'clock in the morning one day with his idea, 'You need to take that car to Mayfield.'" Sutherland told WPSD-TV
"So I told my husband, I said, 'You are going to think I'm crazy.' And he said, 'I'm pretty sure you are crazy but I think it's a great idea.'" She continued.
Mayfield is one of the badly hit areas of the deadly tornadoes that ravaged Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee on the night of Dec. 10 until next day, leaving behind a trail of disaster that included more than 100 people dead, hundreds of homes damaged, and several people injured.
As soon as her husband agreed, Sutherland called her sheriff's office and discussed her plans. The sheriff, in turn, called Mayfield's Graves County Sheriff's Office to help find a recipient. The Graves County Sheriff's Office then endorsed Sutherland to Rebecca Marsala who lost everything, including her car that was destroyed in the parking area of the factory she worked for.
Marsala is one of those who was trapped under the collapsed Mayfield Consumer Products factory due to the tornadoes' onslaught. Marsala, unlike many, was rescued after five hours under the rubble and survived that tragic incident. She was brought to the hospital for treatment for her injuries and spent days there for recovery.
Her car was parked in the factory's parking lot and was destroyed with the rest of the vehicles there when the tornado passed by. She has been relying on her parents since then to get around.
On Monday, the Graves County Sheriff's Office revealed in Facebook the meeting of Sutherland and Marsala and what took place during it. The Sheriff's Office included photos of the event tagged as a "blessing."
"I was contacted by Anderson County Ky Sheriff Joe Milam a day or so after the tornado struck our community. Sheriff Milam told me that a resident of his county had contacted him about wanting to donate her car to someone that had lost theirs in the storm," the Graves County Sheriff's Office said.
The Sheriff's Office went on to say that Sutherland drove for four hours from Anderson County to Mayfield on Monday morning and was introduced to Marsala. Sutherland then signed the car's title over to Marsala along with the keys. Graves County Emergency Management Director Tracy Warner was among those present to witness the "gift exchange."
"What a blessing. She also delivered some homemade goodies for our deputies," the Sheriff said referring to Sutherland.
"Thank you Mrs. Sutherland for your kindness and to Sheriff Milam who himself has been to Mayfield last week delivering goods to our residents," he added.
Sutherland disclosed with WKYT-TV that she was certain Marsala was the right recipient for her car after knowing the ordeal she had experienced because of the storm.
"She literally called her adult daughter to say goodbye. I can't explain it, when [the sheriff] told me, I was like, 'Yes of course, this is who gets the car.'" Sutherland said.
Marsala, who previously gave a testimony on her experience as a survivor of the collapsed candle factory during the County's Emergency Management briefing "to help in some sort of way," expressed her joy to WPSD-TV in being a recipient of Sutherland's goodness and kindness.
"It means everything to me today. I will be able to be independent again. I will be able to go back to work hopefully soon, get my grandkids," Marsala said.
