How do you thank somebody who saved your life?

That was the question that Ruth Pettigrew was left with after her Meals on Wheels driver Debbie Hansen noticed something was off during a delivery in August and called 911, leading Loveland Police Department Officer Mariah Kroschel to her doorstep.

Pettigrew suffered a stroke that day, but was saved by the quick response from those who noticed something wasn’t right, an act she is deeply grateful for.

Pettigrew, a longtime Loveland resident, has been receiving meals from Meals on Wheels for several years. Becky Peterson, who has delivered meals to Pettigrew every Wednesday for around four years described her as a sweet woman who loves her paintings.

In early August, Debbie Hansen, a Meals on Wheels volunteer, was delivering food to Pettigrew when she realized something was not quite right.

While Pettigrew was responsive and talking to her, she wasn’t speaking very coherently and didn’t get off the couch the entire time she was there, Hansen said.

After she dropped off a few more meals, she had a conversation with someone back at Meals on Wheels and they decided they should call 911 for a welfare check on Pettigrew.

“I could tell something was wrong,” Hansen said.

“I didn’t know what to do and that is why I reported it back there.”

At this time, Kroschel made her way to Pettigrew’s home in west Loveland, while checking in with Meals on Wheels to get more information on what was concerning them.

Pettigrew said after Hansen had left and before Kroschel got there, she went to answer her phone and fell to the ground, where she stayed because she couldn’t get back up; unbeknownst to her at the time, she was suffering a stroke.

Kroschel said that when she arrived Pettigrew was still on the floor and the officer offered to help her up.

She said that she could tell something was wrong with Pettigrew, and after confirming she wasn’t intoxicated — she said Pettigrew let her know at the time that she doesn’t drink — she called for medical help.

Pettigrew was transported to Medical Center of the Rockies and then airlifted to the UCHealth facility in Aurora, where she said she was unconscious for several days.

“I remember being in the house, and when I woke up I was in the ICU,” Pettigrew said, adding that while she doesn’t remember the incident, she was told she had mentioned she thought the helicopter pilot was cute.

Once Pettigrew regained consciousness and began her healing process, she learned of what happened and how Hansen and Meals on Wheels got the LPD to check in, and how Kroschel responded quickly and got her the help she needed.

She added she was told by doctors that, had everyone not responded as quickly as they did, she likely would have died.

“How do you thank somebody who saved your life and is there for you?” Pettigrew said as she sat with Hansen and Kroschel Tuesday morning.

Both Hansen and Kroschel said they were just happy to know that Pettigrew survived her medical emergency.

“Meals on Wheels is a great organization and that’s what we do,” Hansen said.

“I was so grateful to Debbie,” Peterson said.

“It happened on her watch and it was totally God’s timing. Thank God for Debbie. Everything she needed to do she did.”

Kroschel said a huge part of why they could save Pettigrew that day was one thing: teamwork.

“Thank goodness Meals on Wheels called … it in,” she said.

“They are a great organization to look out for our community members. I never would have been there unless that phone call was made.”

Now, several months later, Pettigrew continues to recover while smiling, laughing and telling stories, with tales of her sister’s huge house in Iowa to her love for the members of the LPD.

She said she had sent Kroschel flowers and candy when she learned what happened and gave her a gift bag of popcorn at their reunion Tuesday.

While the stroke impacted the left side of her body and has caused some issues since, she said she is continuing to carry on and do what she enjoys, especially painting.

Pettigrew proudly showed off the many paintings in her home to Kroschel Tuesday, including paintings she has done of LPD K9s, some she previously gave to the K9 unit, which sent her a thank you card in recognition for what she has done her work.

“I’ve got a lot more paintings to do,” she said.