Letter: Armstrong family offers appreciation

In the early morning hours of June 7 my husband Shayne and my son Bo left Rangely to go to Rifle to pick up newspapers. This is a job my husband has done for over nine years.
This morning would be the start of a big nightmare. About 12:45 a.m. my husband swerved to miss an elk and ended up wrecking our car. Bo was hurt, but not bad. Unfortunately, Shayne had some severe injuries. Bo was able to get out of the car and get Shayne’s cell phone. Bo then called for help. Bo kept his head and is our first hero in a list of heroes. Bo, you did a great job and we are extremely proud of you. We want to send huge thank you to Mike Zadra, Mike Cushman, Andy Lucero, Andy Shaffer and everyone else on the Rangely rescue crew, including all the ambulance personnel, city and county police, and CSP Trooper Patterson. Your quick and efficient work kept Shayne and Bo safe and comfortable. The doctors and nurses at Rangely District Hospital are next on the list. You all are great and work well as a team. You worked quickly, got Bo checked out and released and got Shayne ready to be flown to Denver. Two more flight doctors and a pilot deserve big thank-yous also. A special thank you goes out to Josh Allred for everything you did for Shayne in the E.R. You made him laugh and you made the situation bearable. Once Shayne made it to Denver Health Hospital we met even more great people. The surgeons put Shayne’s leg back together and the nurses (all of them from ICU, step-down, main floor and PT) should be proud of the great job they do. Not just for the patient, but also being so open and helpful to the families. Thank You to all that were involved in Shayne and Bo’s care.
Thank you just does not seem strong enough; please know we are extremely grateful for all you did. Now that those thank yous are covered we need to say thanks to some other people. George and Jackie Fortunato — you two are angels directly from heaven. Jolene called you at 1 a.m. and you were there in minutes. You went far beyond anything we could have asked for. You were and are amazing, and we feel truly blessed to have you in our lives. Vicki Ambrose, Michael Cowen, and the Denver Newspaper Agency — thank you for taking over the hauling and delivery of the papers in Rangely. We didn’t know what would happen with our customers and you kept it all together. Heather and Lacie — you took over the paper route when Vicki could no longer do it. You guys rock! Mike and Heather Zadra — you two are the best friends anyone could ask for. You came through with food and care for our kids. Jolene did not have to worry about the kids and was able to stay in Denver with Shayne the whole time. We love you guys. Lee and Karen Stanley — thank you for all your help getting the supplies needed for the house that would allow Shayne to come home. He feels better just being back. Bob and Phyllis Fairchild — your cards really made Shayne’s day. Your thoughts and prayers made us all feel loved. The Herald Times — thank you for your card and your concern and thank you to Jeff for the articles he wrote about Shayne and the accident. I have had many people come up to me and tell me they learned of the accident and how Shayne was doing because of these articles.
We’re sure we have missed someone, but please know it was not intentional. We appreciate everything from everyone. We could not ask to live in a better community. Shayne is home now, after two weeks in the hospital, but he has a long recovery ahead. If you have a moment call or stop by and say hi. He would love the company, since he will be homebound for at least the next eight weeks. Again thank you to all.
Shayne, Jolene, Heather,
Bo and Alice Armstrong
Rangely