Letter carrier delivers comfort to resident

A mail carrier’s main responsibility is to deliver letters and packages, but one Shawnee carrier went above and beyond the call of duty to help a resident in need.
David Bourbonnais has been with the Shawnee Post Office for more than 33 years but until May 1 it had been business as usual. On that day, he faced a situation he had not encountered before — helping someone.
In a letter to the Shawnee postmaster, the resident said, “I pushed the button I wear around my neck (Lifeline alert) to get help, but help came from another direction.”
Bourbonnais said as soon as he arrived at the house of the 76-year-old resident to deliver her mail, he noticed she had fallen. She was conscious, but “visibly shaken” by the fall, he said.
“It wasn’t a life-or-death situation, but I wanted to calm her down and help her,” he said.
After moving her from the doorway and making sure she was calm and comfortable, Bourbonnais called 911 to make sure the Lifeline call had went to dispatch. He then stayed with her until the fire department arrived.
“It’s nothing that letter carriers across the United States don’t do every day,” he said. “It was just my turn to do something.”
Bourbonnais said he was happy to help, and this resident isn’t the only one he looks after on his route. He said he checks on several elderly residents as he delivers the mail to make sure they are fine. Many he hand delivers their mail.
While Bourbonnais said it was just something he felt he needed to do, the resident said it meant more to her. She wrote a letter to the Shawnee Post Office commending Bourbonnais for his service and his help.
“Mr. David Bourbonnais is not just my mailman, now he’s my hero and my friend,” she said.
He isn’t the only one in the family being recognized for his service to the mail carrier business. His brother Larry Bourbonnais was recognized by the August Court homeowners for his service to the neighborhood.
“He is the finest person any of us has ever had to service our mail,” the homeowners’ letter said. “He is extremely friendly, accurate, accommodating and always has a smile for everyone.”
Most of the residents on his route are retired, and the residents said they are grateful to have him as their carrier.
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Amanda Gire may be reached at amanda.gire@news-star.com or at 214-3934.