This post restores my faith in kindness, humanity and the goodness of strangers. Thank you for warming my heart.

What a great story! Glad to know BestMommieDearest is doing well and Robbiegirl, what a wonderful thing.

AZgirl, while I did see a few people that could be potential pickpockets who seemed to be watching people, none of the four of us had any difficulty with theft or anything that made us uncomfortable. Common sense for your belongings will protect you. Do not leave things laying around. Keep your belongings in the front of you.
There are many helpful people there in Italy and I am sure all of Europe.

THIS is why I why I enjoy this board... lovely people. Someone above says, "thanks, I needed this today"...
Indeed... Thanks for posting. Thanks for Robbie's humanity... sigh.

It IS a good world.

Thanks for sharing such a beautiful story. Blessings to all.

Thank you to everyone for your kind wishes for me and my Mom.

It is ironic that if I had been given the opportunity, I probably would have opted to send a private note to Robbiegirl. But since I didn't have any way to contact her directly I needed to use this forum. And, in retrospect, I'm glad I did. Because now Robbiegirl gets the public accolades she deserves.

Robbiegirl, not only did you touch my mother's life, but it is clear from the postings to this thread, that your act of kindness has touched many others. It is a reminder to people that the stranger we see who may need our assistance is a loved one of others, just as our loved ones are seen as strangers by others. If we all remembered that, what a nicer, kinder world this would be.

Wow..goosebumps....what a lovely story. I needed this :)

Have a great day all

To Robbiegirl and all:
Now it's my turn, again. Good for all of you to recognize how selfless, kind, caring, giving, sensitive--and more--that Robbiegirl is. And your comments about my feeling better are so appreciated. I really don't think I'll ever get beyond the warm feelings you've generated in me; and I don't want to. Plus the awe that someone could take the time to be so be so kind. Robbiegirl, I nominate you for Woman of the Year!
And speaking of awe, the one thing I haven't recovered from is the coincidence of all this. I guess this was "meant to be".
Now, about the medical attention I received when I went to the emergency room: outstanding. And, Robbiegirl, don't feel guilty about not accompanying me to the hospital. I'd have felt guilty if you had! We must have the same genetic factor for guilt!!
To continue, the medical attention was very good. The medical staff that was fluent in English were evidently assigned to me, because most did. The primary physician was quite thorough, did (what seemed to me) appropriate testing, then referred me to the Cardiology Dept. The doctor there started speaking to me in Italian, and when I said I didn't understand (didn't really practice my Italian before I went), he then spoke in the most beautiful British-accented English! Most importantly, he was kind, reassuring, and informative, told me the results of the electrogram and the echocardiogram all along the way (even watched the latter on the screen), and then most happily informed me I was well enough to travel the next day. Can't ask for more. Except I got more: when I asked to take care of the bill, all looked at me blankly and informed me there wasn't one! All they wanted was my passport, not insurance papers. Unbelievable.
So, contrary to popular opinion, Italy is NOT a bad place to have a medical problem if one must.
Oh, and to clarify one point: it was my choice to walk back to my hotel after all this. It may sound strange, but I really wanted to get out into the fresh air, stretch my legs, and it felt so good to be alive, and able to do so. Made sense to me...
So--all you travelers: the bottom line to all this, don't be afraid to travel, and all's well that ends well. Again, thanks to the care of strangers. (Although Robbiegirl will never feel like a stranger to me now.)

E

And people wonder how I can be so addicted to an internet message board. Thank you, wj1, Bestmommiedearest, and robbiegirl, for making my day.

Wow.... topping for anyone who needs a little uplifting special something today -- especially when it's so dreary and yucky here in NYC. :-D

ttt... it's even yuckier out now so topping for some simles and warm happys :))

Uh... that should have read "smiles". I have no idea what "simles" are...

Well it is quite sunny in South Fl.!! And Bestmommiedearest we do have the same genetic makeup for guilt!
Anyway, I did not do anything any other nurse would not have done.
I am glad everything turned out well and it was great to see you in the airport the following day. Amazing.

So as Wj1 said, you all need to remember this and stop along the way. Talk to someone, give someone a hug, do a favor for someone that is unexpected etc. That is all this is about.
Love thy neighbor as thy love thyself. And Do unto others...

What a beautiful story BestMommy....You were so lucky that our Robbiegirl was around..She is surely Fodors WOMAN of THE YEAR..Congratulations my dear Robbie..

Tell me , the hospital did not charge you anything even after taking all these expensive tests?
You sure are a lucky lady..I am happy that you feel much better now and dont give up travelling, like yourself found out, Life is Too Fragile, you never know what could happens or what tomorrow would bring us..Better enjoy it Today..
Ciao,
AnnaMaria

I come to Fodors for great info and the often comic relief provided by so many, but this REALLY makes all the rest fade into the background.
Yoroshiku

ttt

From reading this, it seems like a good idea that travellers should know the rudiments of first aid when they go to other destinations - CPR, heat exhaustion, etc. and carry a basic first aid kit with them. If the language of the country you're visiting is different, a phrase book with basic human 'illnesses' (and not just directions to the nearest train station) might be invaluable?

Robbiegirl-Your caring and concern really touched me. It is wonderful to hear such a story. Often it seems that people are so wrapped up in their lives or have become so cynical, that caring about their fellow man is something that would not even occur to them. Your actions restore my faith in the goodness of people. The story also shows just how small the world really is.

Bestmommiedearest-I am so glad that you are feeling better and that the doctors in Italy treated you so well. Amazing that you didn't have to pay a cent.

I am fairly new to this forum (July) but I love seeing how members help each other out. It's so much better than the petty fighting!

Certainly an uplifting story.

AMAZING!!

Cosmic I would say.

I think our media focuses strongly on the negative and hardly at all on the positive good things that happen all over the world.

I am also sure there are more people that would help each other than would not. What I did was just what anyone would do if they knew CPR. There were people that stopped along the way to ask if help was needed. There were others who saw that she was being attended to. I truly feel that this is not such an uncommon occurence.

Now, the fact that BESTmommiedearest and I live on opposite coasts, met in Venice, and found each other again on this board is a great thing.