An elderly man lost all of his fingers to frostbite after a severe blizzard on Christmas Eve, which claimed the lives of 30 people in the US.
Joey White, 64, from Buffalo, New York, had several surgeries to treat his horrific fourth-degree frostbite after he was found in a heap on a stranger's doorstep.
Sha'Kyra Aughtry, 35, found Mr White laying there and brought him inside, describing the "ice balls around his hand," The Mirror reported.
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Despite Ms Aughtry's efforts, surgeons had to amputate nearly all of Joey's fingers, including his knuckles – leaving him with just one thumb.
Joey, who is mentally disabled, lives in a group home some distance from Aughtry's house, his sister Yvonne explained.
On the morning he was found, he reportedly became frightened during the snowstorm and walked to a nearby cinema where he has worked as a custodian for the past 40 years.
However, he got caught in the cold on his way home and ended up outside the good Samaritan's house.
As the storm raged, Sha’Kyra heard banging and cries for help, so she told her boyfriend to open the door.
She was moved to tears by the scene she was met with, as it reminded her of when her brother, Darryal Aughtry, 30, crawled to her doorstep after being shot almost four years ago.
“She was like, ‘You know, that’s like the equivalent to our brother passing away — she can’t have that happen again,’’ Sha'Kyra's sister, Angela, told the New York Post.
"She said if Joey was left out there any longer, he could have frozen to death."
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Sha’Kyra bandaged up Joey's hands before calling the emergency services repeatedly, but the horrific weather conditions made it impossible for paramedics to reach him.
Joey spent Christmas with Sha'Kyra as a result, but she remained concerned for his condition and posted a plea on social media for someone to help transport him to hospital.
Some 36 hours later the pair made it to A&E and Joey had several surgeries.
Joey's sister Yvonne White said that Sha'Kyra's kind actions saved her brother's life.
“I feel that especially nowadays, the way our country is … everything is just, you know, the weather is terrible. This is terrible,” Yvonne told CBS.
“And then to see the compassion and the love with two strangers … is just amazing.”
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