She was on the phone with her brother, Navy vet Greg Holeman of Columbus, Nebraska. He was home recovering from back surgery and told her about post-op complications he was having. She wanted him to call an ambulance, but he was worried about the expense. Unable to help in person from her home in Florida, Lisa dialed Greg's social worker at the Department of Veteran's Affairs in Nebraska.
At least she thought she did.
She actually reached Jimmy John's, the sandwich franchise, and told the story to Lupe Rodriguez, the woman who answered at the shop. Lupe handed the phone to the night manager, Jason Voss, and Voss listened to the panicked woman on the other end of the phone.
Within minutes, Voss had talked the situation over with one of his drivers, Zach Hillmer. A vet himself, Hillmer volunteered to help. With Voss' blessing, Hillmer called Lisa back to get Greg's address.
Lisa was confused and wondered why the social workers didn't have access to her brother’s information. That's when she learned she'd called a sandwich shop.
With details in hand, Hillmer picked Greg up and delivered him to the Emergency Room.
Because a number of people responded to Greg's need with empathy, he is now back home and doing well. "It was meant to be," Lisa says.
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