Just one day shy of her 84th birthday, Peggy Atwood found herself in a horrific situation when she was clawed by a feral cat that had become aggressive toward a stray dog.
Peggy tried to ‘shoo’ the animal away to diffuse what could have been a bad and potentially deadly fight, but instead she became the victim.
Due to Peggy’s medical condition and use of blood thinner medications, the damage done by the cat was severe, blood coming from multiple claw marks embedded in her hands.
Peggy in a panic called out for help and one young man stepped in to save the day.
Sixteen-year-old Nassir Duncan was out on his daily jog around the housing complex as part of his athletic training and happened to hear Peggy’s cries for help, rushing to her aid.
Nassir was aware of the stray dogs roaming around the neighborhood and was attempting to run them off, but he soon learned the dogs weren’t the problem; it was the cat that had been known to be “friendly.”
“She was asking for help and told me that the cat was usually nice. But when I saw all the blood and the cat was hissing, I thought no it isn’t,” Nassir said.
Nassir rushed inside and helped clean and bandage Peggy’s wounds, even going so far as to clean the blood from the porch and sidewalk before it had time to settle into the pavement.
Peggy, in tears, told how much it meant to her to have such a young individual answer a call for help instead of ignoring the situation.
“God love him, he didn’t have to do that for me,” Peggy said. “There are some good kids out there and I just want everyone to know that. God sent this kind young man to help me at that moment and what a wonderful boy he is.”
Nassir gave Peggy his phone number and told her that anytime she needed anything at all to just call him and he would be there.
The name Nassir means “helper” in Greek, and Nassir has certainly stepped into that role, even aspiring to become a firefighter upon entering into adulthood.
He also plans to visit Peggy and check up on her birthday, today the 21st of May.
Though this wasn’t exactly the birthday Peggy hoped for, her faith in the younger generation has been restored and she hopes that her story will soften the hearts of those who may see the world in a more cynical way.
Happy birthday, Peggy!
