Sometimes, a simple act of kindness can change or even save a life. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville highlighted one such story this week, praising 17-year-old Johnson Thompson after the Alabama teen helped a 76-year-old woman who was unknowingly suffering from a brain bleed.
In an X post, Tuberville (R-Auburn) called Thompson “a true hero” and said he “represents the very best of Alabama.”
Johnson is a true hero, and he represents the very best of Alabama.
You’ve made our state very proud. https://t.co/j16YYwAhbx
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) July 13, 2026
According to WAFF, the encounter happened just before 5 a.m. on June 30 after Thompson, unable to sleep following a lawn mower accident about a week earlier, went to work at his family’s workshop in Colbert County.
While working, Thompson noticed a car slowly pull into a parking lot across the street. A woman got out and began stumbling.
He walked over to check on her.
The woman, 76-year-old Fannie Garner, told Thompson she had a terrible headache and was trying to find the nearest emergency room. She had driven roughly 15 to 20 miles from Cherokee to Tuscumbia but later said she remembered very little about the trip.
“Nothing but God,” Garner told the news outlet. “It had to be because I don’t remember it. I got there and I got there safe.”
Garner and Thompson later described their meeting as “divine intervention.”
Recognizing that something was wrong, Thompson got Garner a chair, called 911 and stayed by her side until paramedics arrived.
Doctors later determined Garner had suffered a brain bleed and flew her to a Birmingham hospital for treatment.
The next day, Garner’s family tracked Thompson down to thank him. During a reunion the following week, they presented the teenager with a life-saving award they created to recognize his actions.
Garner’s sister, Gwen Goodloe, said the family’s search for Thompson left her grateful that someone had stopped to help.
“Well, I felt relieved and so thankful for humanity that, you know, somebody would pay attention,” Goodloe said.
Garner said she will never forget the teenager who came to her aid.
“We already have plans for his graduation and that’s next year,” she said with a laugh.
Tuberville echoed that praise in his post.
“Johnson is a true hero, and he represents the very best of Alabama,” the senator wrote. “You’ve made our state very proud.”
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
