Where to look for heroes

Monday evening at our City Council meeting, we had an opportunity to put aside the business of the city and to experience something very beautiful. As you may recall, I wrote a Mayor’s Message describing the events of May 27, 2023, when a young woman, seeing an individual in distress, stepped out of her comfort zone and provided a life-saving effort. When Stephanie Koklys came across Wojciech Wilczynski in distress, she did what her heart told her to do, call 911 and perform CPR per the instructions of the dispatcher, who stayed on the line to assist her until the paramedics arrived on the scene. Wojciech will have the opportunity to be a husband and father, a neighbor, a friend, and a contributor to our community, all due to the efforts of a woman who saw a person in need and acted according to her instincts.

After we gave Stephanie her Heart of Darien Award, Wojciech came forward and with tears in his eyes, he embraced Stephanie as his way of saying “thank you” for her efforts on his behalf. Prior to the start of our meeting, we also had an opportunity to meet Stephanie and Wojciech’s families, two families that have now bonded through this experience. Experiencing these two families coming together was an emotional moment for everyone in attendance.

While I have given a Heart of Darien to several very deserving individuals over the past four years, this one touched my heart in a very special way, and it will be one that I remember, not just for what occurred, but for how it brought two individuals and their families together. I believe that we have other Stephanie’s and Wojciech’s here in Darien; people who would step out of their comfort zone to assist someone in need, and I am grateful that I had an opportunity to meet a young woman who, in my estimation, is a true hero, someone who I believe all of you would enjoy meeting.