A Nanaimo senior is grateful for the actions of two children who found her and called for help after she fell, suffered a concussion and lay exposed to cold night temperatures for 10 hours.

Lorraine Buchan, 90, who lives near Fillinger Crescent in north Nanaimo, took out her trash bin March 14 at about 10:30 p.m., but as she was returning to her house she fell and banged her head.

sa国际传媒淚 was putting out my garbage bin and, you know, from then on, I donsa国际传媒檛 know, I was down,sa国际传媒� Buchan said.

She figures she might have tripped on her front doorstep. She lay there for a couple of hours, and when she came around she couldnsa国际传媒檛 get back on her feet because she had injured one arm and has a problem with the rotor cuff in the other.

She eventually crawled back into her home on her hands and knees and then lay there with the lights on and the front door open all that night, calling for help, but no one responded.

sa国际传媒淭he lights were on, the front door wide open all night,sa国际传媒� Buchan said. sa国际传媒淣o cougars. No robbers. Nobody wanted me.sa国际传媒�

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Buchan lay in the cold for 10 hours until the following morning when Noah Lutz, 8, and his sister Meghan, 11, happened by after opting to walk to school on a different route than theysa国际传媒檇 normally take.

The children found Buchan when they heard her weak cries for help and investigated.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not the fast way to school so I donsa国际传媒檛 why they were going that way that day, but they decided to sa国际传媒� Every once in a while they leave early and walk different ways and it just happened to be that day as fate would have it,sa国际传媒� said Erin Lutz, the childrensa国际传媒檚 mother.

sa国际传媒淲e were walking to school and we heard sa国际传媒榟elp,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� Meghan said. sa国际传媒淚t was faint.sa国际传媒�

Meghan said they were a little scared, but overcame their apprehension to move in and help Buchan.

sa国际传媒淚 told Noah to stay there and then I went up and got a car to call the ambulance,sa国际传媒� Meghan said.

Noah stayed with Buchan until he heard a car start next door and ran to that residence to get help.

sa国际传媒淚 heard a truck starting next door and then I got that truck and they helped,sa国际传媒� Noah said. sa国际传媒淚 told them then somebody needed help and then they went over.sa国际传媒�

Buchan was in hospital for eight days recovering from the injuries she suffered from the fall, but is now back at home still recovering from sa国际传媒渨oozinesssa国际传媒� left over from the concussion, which she hopes will pass soon.

sa国际传媒淓verything takes takes time,sa国际传媒� she said.

She received a visit from the children who stopped by Sunday to check on her.

sa国际传媒淭hey are just fabulous. They all came to the door yesterday to see if I was OK,sa国际传媒� Buchan said.

Buchan now has a Lifeline medical alert device so she can call for help should she have another mishap and she has no intention of giving up living independently anytime soon.

sa国际传媒淚 had just celebrated my 90th birthday and Isa国际传媒檓 trying; I am. Isa国际传媒檓 still going to stay in my home.sa国际传媒�

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