CASPER, Wyo. - Chuck Forbes has battled liver disease for half of his 59 years. When the time finally came for a transplant, a blizzard blocked his route to the hospital — until a corps of snowplow drivers saved the day...
He and his wife, Ruth, made it [to the hospital] from their home in northwest Wyoming despite the storm that closed roads Saturday in the southeastern part of the state...
They had already made it all the way to Wheatland, some 250 miles southeast of their home in Meeteetse, when they encountered a road-closing barrier Saturday afternoon. A bit panicked, Ruth Forbes called 911."The operator said 'The road is closed, we've been forecasting this storm all week,' " she said. "Then she said 'Hang on, I'll get a patrolman to come talk to you.'"
Trooper Chuck Bloom arrived, talked to the couple and then returned to his patrol car.
"He came back to our car and said 'If you wait right here, the area boss for WYDOT will be right here,'" Ruth Forbes said. "In a matter of 10 minutes, we had a convoy of plow trucks."
The couple followed nearly on the bumper of a plow truck from Wheatland in whiteout conditions.
Other trucks joined their caravan to plow a wider path.
In Cheyenne, one plow led them through the city. South of the city, another snowplow driver got them to the state line.
In all, the escort involved eight snowplows and covered some 80 miles.
They made it to the hospital at about 9:30 p.m. Chuck Forbes underwent his transplant at 7 a.m. Sunday...
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