Neat story about Sprint (my company) and how they have most assuredly at the very least given a young boy a second chance at life:
When you’re on the waiting list for a heart transplant, you never know when the call will come. For a 10-year-old Pennsylvania boy named John, that call came on Saturday, May 5, but it went unheard. That’s because John and his mother Sue were enjoying a jazz concert at Slippery Rock University. The clock was ticking, but Sue heard only the music. Officials at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh called state police because they couldn’t reach the boy’s parents to let them know a donor heart had been found. As the minutes passed, the boy was in danger of missing his opportunity for a transplant. Then Sprint’s electronic surveillance team in corporate security stepped into the picture, immediately providing the GSP coordinates of Sue’s wireless phone. “The only time you can use it is life or death, or to track someone wanted in a homicide,” said state police Cpl. James Green. Otherwise, police must get a warrant from the judge. Using the GPS coordinates Sprint provided, police tracked Sue’s phone to a Slippery Rock University building. Police stopped the concert and took the stage, explaining why they were looking for the boy and his mother. The crowd of approximately 500 jumped to their feet and applauded the boy as he left, according to Steve Hawk, a music professor who conducted the concert. “I’ve been in the entertainment business for 30 years and never had such an emotional, shocking event happen at something live,” Hawk told the local Butler Eagle newspaper. At last report after the transplant, John is in critical but stable condition. As a Sprint employee, you can feel proud our company was able to Be the Reason a child received a second chance at a healthy life. The story was carried on various news outlets, and bloggers weighed in positively. Here are some excerpts from several blog sites:
OK, Something Good Finally Came of All This Big-Brotherism … I know that this story will end up being used as fuel by those who want to track every citizen of the US, everywhere. But, in a rare instance, the normally-excessive Big Brotherism has actually done some good for once. Seems a kid needed a heart transplant, and the police’s ability to get Sprint Nextel to fork up the coordinates of his mother’s cell phone proved key to getting him into the hospital for it in time. The audience at the jazz concert the boy and his mother were at, jumped up to give them a standing ovation after police interrupted the concert to announce the available heart and find the two. Police can only use the tracking without a warrant in cases of life or death, or when looking for a homicide suspect. The operation was successful ..."
“This would directly fall into the "To Serve and protect" category. I cannot think of a better use for cop time and technology. I read enough about bad cops, and bad people it's nice to hear about something working out well.”
“Props for a Cell phone company doing something GOOD for the commonwealth.”
“Cell phone company working FOR the people? That's refreshing.”
“I just read this out aloud to my GF and she loved it. We don't get enough good news stories like this.”
“For a change, I have to say something was not only handled well but extraordinary. I mean the kid got a heart the technology made it possible to find him and get him and the heart together exactly what technology of this sort was designed for.”
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