An Open Letter to the People Who Didn’t Help My Mom

I always thought Central New Yorkers were among the kindest people on the planet. Now, I'm rethinking it.

I'll be honest - it's taken me about a week to write this because I am so upset. Last week, in the middle of the day, in the center of the food court at the Sangertown Square mall, my mom fell. She doesn't know why - whether the floor was slippery, or there was something there - but what she does know, is that as she lay face down on the ground, bleeding from her lip, no one helped her.

Not a single person came over to help her up. No one asked "Are you okay?" She managed, with difficulty, to get herself off the ground, gather her bags and sit at a table to pull herself together. She was bleeding. Still, no one helped. Not an offer of a napkin, nothing. She got up, walked all the way back to Target, got in her car and drove home.

If anyone who watched all of that happened is reading this: you should be ashamed of yourself. When my mom told me what happened, I was tempted to head back to the mall and stand in the center court and scream "What is wrong with you people?"

I don't get it. What would stop someone from offering help? She clearly isn't a threat. It was in the center of a busy food court in the middle of the day. How do you just sit there and watch?

I can promise you this: I will never hesitate to help someone who needs it. And I'm going to focus on the people I know who literally always do the same - whether it's a kid, or a dog, or an adult.

I hope if you're reading this, you'll make sure you at least ask "Are you okay?" when you see someone get hurt. Everyone is someone's mom or dad or daughter or son or sister or brother.