Dear Mike Wallace,

Within my family, the name “Mike Wallace” has recently become synonymous with the words hope, compassion, and kindness. For each member of my family, your name now represents everything that is good with the world, even under the most difficult circumstances.

On June 30th, 2017, my aunt and uncle were in a tragic car accident. You were one of the angels who were dispatched to the scene where we lost my uncle Roberto, and where my aunt Maria was amidst most devastating situation of her life. On this day, your actions clearly went far above the call of duty, and my family is beyond grateful for everything you did.

Since the accident, my aunt Maria has come to explain the details of that terrible afternoon. She was trapped in her vehicle, injured, 400 miles away from anyone she knew. As she was helped out of her SUV, first responders lined up to block her view of what might have possibly become a haunting memory. That was when she came upon you, Mike Wallace.

Countless times since that day, my aunt has described how Mike Wallace comforted her, hugged her, and treated her like family. She has explained how Mike Wallace offered his phone so that she could contact anyone she needed. She let us know how Mike Wallace did everything he could to help her locate phone numbers for our family members as soon as he realized that her phone and purse had been lost in the accident. She told us that Mike Wallace said he would do anything to help her, and he truly meant it.

Before she was transported to the hospital, my aunt was able to use her broken iPad to send a Facebook message to her daughter-in-law Becca, instructing her to call Mike Wallace. You were somehow able to find contact information for myself and my cousin Daniel, where you left messages, asking each of us to call Mike Wallace. Neither one of us could be reached, and you remained there by her side, making sure that she did not feel alone. You stayed with my aunt for almost an hour, reassuring her that she was in good hands when she arrived at the hospital.

My aunt Maria lost everything she had in the accident, including the love of her life. She was injured and alone, with only the clothes on her back. When she truly needed a caring person to remind her that she would get through, you were there to hug her and talk to her when our family couldn’t. You even made a connection with my aunt, describing your knowledge of Latino families and your understanding of close-knit Latino family dynamics. You used your personal experience to remind her how important she was to us, and you could not have been more right about that.

My cousins Daniel and Paulina immediately left to be with their mom. Becca contacted our family members to let us all know the details of the situation. Cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends came together to talk about the details of that day, and each time my aunt spoke, the name Mike Wallace resounded as an expression of hope and reassurance that everything was going to be ok. You spoke to her with sincerity and compassion, which really meant a lot to our family.

Two days following the accident, I sat with my aunt and cousins, trying to take it all in, attempting to make sense of everything that had just happened. We all sat together at the table, hoping for something positive to help us draw in a breath of fresh air, when Becca said, “He isn’t just Mike, or Mr. Wallace, we can only know him as ‘THE Mike Wallace.’” With that, we all chuckled. We added, “Are you having a bad day? Do you feel alone? Do you just need a hug? Mike Wallace is going to make everything ok.”

Later that evening I found myself in tears, feeling overcome with sadness regarding my uncle. Right then a peculiar delayed voicemail came through on my phone from 2 days prior. It was a message which I had never received. I read the voicemail message transcript which started, “Hello, this is Mike Wallace…” There you were again, “the great Mike Wallace” reminding me that everything was going to be ok.

Thank you so much Mike Wallace. You took care of my aunt Maria and uncle Roberto at a time when our family couldn’t. It was through tragedy that we discovered a blessing. Although we have never met, we all now regard you as a member of our family. You are forever in our hearts and we will forever be grateful.

Sincerely,

The Estrada Family