EXCLUSIVE: Gilroy survivor meets woman who stopped to help him after he was shot

ByKris Reyes WLS logo
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
EXCLUSIVE: Gilroy survivor meets woman who stopped to help him after he was shot
EXCLUSIVE: Gilroy survivor meets woman who stopped to help him after he was shotThe last time Nick McFarland and Kim Thompson saw each other, they were complete strangers, brought together by the chaos of the Gilroy shooting.

MORGAN HILL, Calif. -- The last time Nick McFarland and Kim Thompson saw each other, they were complete strangers, brought together by the chaos of the Gilroy shooting.

Thompson was running for her life, Nick was on the ground with a bullet in his leg. A nurse of almost 10 years, Thompson stopped to help him.

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In an emotional reunion, Tuesday, Nick greeted her with flowers, a hug and words of deep gratitude.

"Thank you for being my angel that day, it meant a lot to me," he said.

"I didn't even think like it wasn't safe, I shouldn't have been there, I just felt I did what I needed to do to get him safe," said Thompson.

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In a Facebook Live video, you can see Thompson helping McFarland, putting on a makeshift tourniquet made from an apron and his t-shirt. Once she had stabilized the bleeding, she stayed to call 911.

Their reunion is a happy one-- but make no mistake, it is a meeting of survivors, traumatized by a horrific event.

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"I've had good days, I've had nightmares," said Thompson. "Just seeing him and knowing he was ok it just brought closure to knowing that what i did do helped him in some way."

"For me knowing that I was going to meet my hero, I couldn't wait for this day," said McFarland, "We might be family friends for the rest of our lives. You were my angel that day for sure."

See more stories and videos related to the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting.

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