'You Got This. Girl, Keep Fighting': Woman Battling Cancer Gets Unexpected Lift From 2 NYPD Officers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two NYPD officers are being praised for carving a path through hectic Manhattan traffic to help a woman battling cancer get to an important doctor's appointment.
A soft smile. A big thanks. There was an emotional reunion between 28-year-old Gabriela DeMassi and two officers who jumped in to help the young woman in a difficult moment.
"It really touched me and turned my whole day around," DeMassi told CBS2's Kiran Dhillon on Tuesday.
She has been battling cervical cancer on and off for six years. She was on her way to treatment last week in Midtown when she was caught in massive gridlock traffic caused by the United Nations General Assembly.
"My dad was like, 'Gabby, you have to hop out of the car. You're going to be late. You're going to have to walk,'" DeMassi said.
That's when DeMassi spotted two nearby police officers and asked for help finding an alternate route to the hospital.
"Immediately they reacted and they were like, of course. Hop in that car. Get right back in there, you're making your appointment," DeMassi said.
DeMassi said the officers began directing traffic and then personally escorted her vehicle through the intersection.
In the process, she said they were both extremely supportive.
"He just looked at me afterwards and was like, 'You got this. Girl, keep fighting. Do not give up. Do not stop,'" DeMassi said.
In the heat of the moment, DeMassi forgot to get the officers' names. She later posted about the experience on Instagram in hopes of thanking them.
Once reunited, the officers insisted they were just doing their jobs.
"If I had to carry her, I would have," Officer Hanlet De Leon said.
"It was very, like, emotional to see her mom cry and we knew what she was going through," Officer Rajiv Dasrath added.
The men said they were blown away when they heard DeMassi had paid tribute to them online.
"It brought tears to my eyes," Officer De Leon said.
"I'm speechless. It's overwhelming," Officer Dasrath said.
But for DeMassi, the gesture meant the world.
"Them doing all that, distracting me in the moment, making me think about the whole, you know, exchange of words and smiles that morning, really really changed the tone to my day," she said.
She said she's forever grateful for the help and plans to keep in touch with both officers.
And here's some good news. DeMassi said at the appointment, she learned several tumors have not grown.
