Out-Of-State Good Samaritan Donates Generator To Oklahoma Family

Oakwood, Oklahoma is a town of 65, about 30 miles north of Weatherford.

Just like so many places, it was hit hard by last week's ice storm.

Oakwood resident Natalie Haigler isn't one to ask for help, like the last time they had an ice storm in town.

"I got in trouble for being at home and they had to come get me with a tractor to pull the truck," Haigler said.

So, when Natalie's family lost power last week, she didn't ask for any favors.

That's where Stephen Helzer comes in.

He lives in Denver but is from Thomas, Oklahoma.

Stephen had a generator he never used and reached out on Facebook to his hometown friends asking for a worthy recipient.

"I thought, well, there's got to be somebody that needs some power," Helzer said.

Natalie works at Rustic Elite Design in Thomas, about 20 miles from Oakwood.

One of her friends who also works in Thomas responded to Stephens' post, knowing how much Natalie needed power for her family.

"That was amazing because we got to come home and sleep in our own beds," Haigler said.

One of Natalie's sons, 16-year-old Braxton, has 22q deletion syndrome -- a rare genetic disorder that causes a number of health and developmental problems.

Braxton recently had surgery for scoliosis.

"We bought him a special bed before his back surgery this summer. Him being able to stretch out on his own bed, is what he needed," Haigler said.

As for getting the generator from Denver to Oakwood, enter Sherry Christensen, Natalie's boss.

She made the 8-hour roundtrip drive to meet Stephen halfway in Clayton, New Mexico.

"Thomas, Oklahoma is one of the towns where if somebody is hurting, they're all hurting," Christensen said.

And thanks to Thomas residents, past and present, the Haigler family's days and nights were a little brighter.

"I just wanted to give back and help where I could. It's a feeling you dang sure can't buy," Helzer said.