U.S. Mailman Michael “Mickey” Wheeley goes above and beyond his duties to save a man suffering from a stroke...

GRAHAM, N.C. — A Graham city carrier may have saved a man’s life who went three days without water, food and medication.

Michael “Mickey” Wheeley was delivering to apartments on his route when he noticed several small packages of medicine still in the cluster box for one of the residents.

Wheeley took the medicines and mail to check on the resident, a decision that may have actually saved the man’s life.

“He needed some help, we got him some help,” said Wheeley. “I don’t feel like I did anything anyone else wouldn’t do.”

Mickey Wheeley

When Wheeley was invited into the home, he saw the man in a chair, unable to get up and walk and unable to function alone.

The man told Wheeley that he had a stroke in the past. He was alone in the apartment because his caretaker had quit on him earlier in the week. He gave the man his mail and some water. When Wheeley asked if he wanted something to eat, the man asked for chicken nuggets.

“I told him I would get them and he sort of became teary eyed,” said Wheeley. “He wanted something to eat and I’m sure anything would have been all right.”

Wheeley left the apartment and called his supervisor, Carole Eckstrom, who called 911, and Emergency Services responded quickly to the scene to take the man to the local hospital.

“It was an absolutely wonderful thing for Mickey to do,” said Eckstrom, a customer service supervisor at Graham. “We learned that the man was in pretty bad shape and is still in the hospital, but that Mickey very well could have saved his life just by getting there when he did. I told our carriers, ‘this is what we do, we are the contact for most people we serve.’ Mickey just demonstrated that, and we’re thrilled he was able to help.”

For Wheeley though, he plans to follow through on his promise.

“When he gets back, I’m getting him his nuggets,” Wheeley said.