Charisa Bossinakis
More than USD $175,950 has been raised for the woman who saved a disabled man during a lethal blizzard in Buffalo, New York.
Sha'Kyra Aughtry shared a video on Facebook, revealing that she suddenly heard screaming on Christmas Eve outside her home.
Once the woman opened the door to see all the commotion, she found Joey 'Joe' White, a 64-year-old local movie theatre worker, lying in a pile of snow suffering from severe frostbite.
Sha’Kyra’s boyfriend, Trent, retrieved the mentally disabled man from the snow and carried him inside her home.
As the man was completely covered in ice, Sha'Kyra cut off his socks and used a blow dryer to dry his pants, which were stuck to his legs.
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Sha’Kyra continued to clean Joe, feed him, and provide him warm blankets and clothes.
In the video, the woman said she had called around to see if anyone would help step in and assist.
She added that she had reached out to Joe’s group home; however, no one had come to her house.
She said: “Nobody has been here to help this man one time - I talk to other people because I have a lot of family members that are medical professionals, and this is what his hands is looking like.”
Sha’Kyra then pans to the man’s hands which have endured severe frostbite, while adding that he needs immediate ‘medical attention’.
The woman then transported Joe to County Medical Centre, where doctors revealed that Joe had suffered fourth-degree burns and that if it hadn't been for Sha’kyra, he would have died.
However, now thanks to the kindness of strangers, more than USD$175,000 has been raised for Sha’Kyra after a GoFundMe page was launched.
The fundraiser, created by Chris Dearing, one of Joe’s employees at the North Park Theatre, said all the proceeds would go towards the Sha’kyra.
He added there was a separate GoFundMe page going towards Joe's recovery.
In his description, Chris wrote: “Without her generous spirit and fierce determination to get Joe help, my friend would be dead.
“Sha'Kyra did all of this without any thought of reward, but she deserves one, and so does her family. She's a hard-working young mother, and I want to show her at least a fraction of the support she gave my friend Joe.”
So far, more USD $98,408 (AUD $144,364) has also been raised for Joe.