Cecil Williams, 61, who had been blind for years, fainted on the platform at the 125th Street station in Harlem. He fell onto the tracks. And there, as a train approached, his guide dog Orlando jumped after him.
Witnesses such as Matthew Martin said that the 10-year-old black Labrador barked nonstop and tried to hold Williams still in the exact spot where the train would pass over them without touching them. Then he licked him, trying to revive him. Firefighters rescued both of them with a spinal board and neck brace. Neither suffered serious injuries.
Williams was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital and kept under observation because of his diabetes. But the hardest part came afterward: because Orlando was about to retire, insurance would not cover keeping him. Anonymous donations from across the country changed that story — Williams kept his dog and also received a newly trained companion, Godiva. 🥹❤️