Off-road volunteers help North Texas nurses make it to and from work

Volunteer drivers make sure nurses get to work during Texas winter storm

With poor road conditions caused by the winter storm, essential workers like nurses might have had a hard time getting to work if not for the work of volunteer off-road drivers in Dallas. FOX 4's Vania Castillo has more.

WEATHERFORD, Texas - Despite icy roads, healthcare workers still have to work. And there’s a group of people who help make it happen.

The Dedicated Nurses

Mikki Sells is a nurse in Weatherford. But lately getting to work has become a job of its own.

"You know, we‘re nurses. We have to be there to help people," she said. "Without us, you know, they wouldn’t have anybody. So it’s what we have to do."

To get to work, she and a group of nurses have to cross a very steep hill. And on Tuesday night, the ride home didn’t go as planned.

"Last night, we didn’t make it. We got to the very top, and we got stuck on the very top, started sliding backwards. It was so scary," she said.

The truck stopped. Everyone got out. And they did the only thing they could think to do. They called Trendsetter Customs.

The Off-Road Volunteers

Kevin Barwell was on the other end of the call. He runs an off-road shop in Weatherford. And when the weather gets bad, he doesn’t stay home.

"Everybody needs help in a bad time. And this seems like a bad time," he said. "Every time we get a bad storm or something like this, we try to make sure first responders get where they need to be."

For Barwell, it’s really that simple. Since Friday, he and a group of volunteers has been busy.

"Saturday, my day started at 5 a.m. I had to start delivering nurses at the 6 a.m. shift change. And then in between that, I was pulling people out. And then the 2 p.m. shift change and then the 10 p.m. shift change," he said.

That included Sells and her group of nurses.

"I had actually just gotten home from my last delivery, just was about to get in the shower, and got a phone call," Barwell said. "And she’s like, ‘We’re stuck on the hill. Can you please rescue us?’"

Five minutes later, the nurses were on their way.

Gratitude and Recognition

Barwell said he doesn’t need recognition. 

"I served 20 years in the military, so I know what it’s like to be in a bad situation," he said.

But Sells has a message she hopes he hears.

"I'd love to give him a big old hug," she said. "Thank you so much. I hope you get the recognition you deserve."