The following letter thanking Cpl. Dean Walton for his professionalism was published in Saturday's edition of the Naples Daily News' Opinion section.
Editor, Daily News:
In the evening of Sept. 29, heading into the Collier County Public Schools administration Building, I fell and smashed my face. A stupid accident: I just wasn’t attending to where I was walking.
People raced to help me; first a news crew, then a gentleman who helped me to stand and brought wet and dry paper towels for cleanup.
The biggest help, however, came from Collier County Sheriff’s Deputy Dean Walton. Learning that I still planned to attend the workshop, he helped me to a bench and went for ice for my face. He returned with Band-Aids, upset because he’d been told no ice was available in the building (seems strange, doesn’t it?). He then actually drove to McDonald’s to obtain ice!
Using the ice and paper napkins he brought, I was able to limit the swelling and stayed to speak during the public portion of the workshop revising the district’s sex-education policy to include age-appropriate, medically accurate information on contraceptives and sexually transmitted diseases in addition to the gold-standard abstinence, from sixth through 12th grade.
My dentist says I’m lucky, as the teeth could have broken off at the gum, instead of being fractured. Additionally, I could have broken my wrist or arm instead of bruising my hand, or broken my hip instead of scuffing my knees.
The swelling is subsiding, and the dental repair begun, so I guess the biggest injuries are to pride and pocketbook.
My biggest thanks, however, are to my unnamed rescuers, and especially to Deputy Walton, who literally went the extra mile so I could fulfill both my first-aid needs and my public duty.
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk must be proud to have this fine gentleman in his department.
— Judith E. Meissner
Naples
