By Tamara Hall is alive and well after a fateful incident with the police on the side of U.S. Highway 17 North in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The authorities received a call that a woman was swerving into the shoulder of the road. They initially thought she might be under the influence of alcohol but it turned out to be something much worse.
When the officers pulled her over, Hall told them she was suffering from a debilitating headache, which was affecting her ability to drive.
The cops could see that the woman was in distress and told her she might be having a medical emergency. They escorted her to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor before undergoing surgery to have the mass removed.
The Mount Pleasant Police Department shared her story on its Facebook page where it quickly went viral.
“On February 19, 2023, Ms. Palmer reached out to the Mount Pleasant Police Department for a follow up,” the department said. “She stated that once she was at the hospital, they located a brain tumor,” and “immediately underwent an 8-hour procedure.”
The officers wrote that she is now doing well and in recovery. Hall credits both responding officers, Patrolman First Class James Aton and Patrolmen First Class Raymond Schoonmaker, with saving her life.
“Ms. Palmer feels that these officers absolutely saved her life,” the post added.
“Without their quick analysis of the situation,” the department wrote, “the outcome could have ended differently.”
Brain tumors can affect a person’s ability to drive. And some patients may have to forfeit their license after a diagnosis. However, cancer research shows that most patients can get back on the road after they’ve made a full recovery. The no-driving period can last up to a year or more, but the length depends on the type of tumor and the treatment they received.
