PICKENS COUNTY, Ga. — Food is a comfort for Dr. Rakesh Shah; sharing his table is sharing his heart.
It's a comfort he shares with his patients in the emergency room.
"Many times, I carry food from the pantry to the patient myself, and I know what it means. And that was very evident when he gave me the bottled water," Shah said of the EMTs who saved him.
The emergency room physician reunited with the first responders for the first time in months, finally putting name to the heroes who saved him.
Catoosa County EMT Clayton Lowrance was driving an ambulance for Puckett EMS on the other side of the highway when an 18-wheeler rear-ended Shah in September 2023.
"It really was the right place at the right time. Miracles do happen," said Lowrance.
Lowrance and ambulance partner Derike Clift were not called out to the crash. The pair happened to drive by the wreckage and knew they had to stop.
"If we hadn't have pulled him out, he would have been crushed. He would have been in the floorboard," said Clift.
After checking him out, the first responders left the scene and Shah was left with questions.
(View photos of the crash below. The story continues after the gallery)
"I said, 'Man, I never asked the guy his name, I never said thanks to him,'" said Shah.
For four months, Shah searched for the pair who had saved him and didn't have any luck until his coworker messaged 11Alive.
Even in a vast digital world, it took 11Alive viewers just six hours to connect the men.
"It meant a lot, I am very honored to be here," said Clift.
The three shared the goodness of social media and a good meal.
"Everything happened at the right place and the right time, every step it was picture perfect. So precious," said Shah.
With full bellies and fuller hearts, Shah decided to return the kindness.
The emergency room physician didn't just have the two men over for a meal, he actually offered to pay for their paramedic school while they were at the table with him.
He said it's clear both men are working in their calling and he wants to make sure he can help them like they helped him.