Did I Do the Right Thing?

This morning started out great. I had the best night's sleep I've had in a long, LONG time, and woke up feeling refreshed. I LOVE that feeling, and don't see it enough. A was also in a good mood, happy and ready to play and be silly, and our good moods just played on one another, until we finally couldn't contain our sunshine in the house anymore, and decided to hit the neighborhood streets for a nice walk. That's when things went South...

I'm ashamed to say I don't know my neighbors all that well. I was one of the first people to move in when the houses were built, and was the young, single girl to everyone's family status. That being said, I take Ava for walks on a semi-regular basis, and know or at least recognize some families in the area, trying to be friendly and saying hi when they're outside.

This morning, I passed by one such house, where an elderly gentleman and his wife live. As I waved and said good morning, I wondered briefly why he didn't respond, thinking that I really should get outside more and interact with these people. Then he fell.

The man, who I'd guess was about 65, fell face first down into the grass, where he'd been watering the flowers and tree in the front yard. His eyes were open, but he wasn't speaking or moving. His screen door was open, so I ran frantically over to him, checking for a pulse, and then ran to the screen door, praying his wife would be there. She wasn't. When I ran back over to him to check his breathing and dial 911, his eyes were closed (and I was convinced for a second he had died), but then he had started to make the smallest of movements, regaining consciousness. I put the phone down (I hadn't completed dialing yet) and went over to him, trying to help brace him and get him on his feet, and saw his arm was bleeding. I asked him if I could call anyone - his wife, a doctor, EMS - or help him bandage his arm, but it seemed clear he wasn't able to speak, with him only able to mumble initially. I also noticed his right arm was bleeding from the fall, and saw he was unable to move it. I'm not a doctor, but I was 99% certain he had suffered a stroke.

I also know that stroke victims can be both disoriented and aggressive, not to mention embarrassed, when they come to, and so when he shrugged me off and was finally able to get the words out that he was fine, I couldn't believe him. There was no conviction in his voice, and he seemed completely confused to why his arm was bleeding and what I was doing standing in front of him. So when he shooed me away - not literally, but he definitely wanted to go inside and be alone - I called 911.

I've been questioning myself ever since. I don't regret doing so, and the paramedics said I was right to call, but did I hurt more than I helped? Is he without insurance, and now going to be stuck with a huge bill for EMS services? Should I offer to pay it?

I'm really conflicted. But in the end, I felt so certain that he had a stroke, and the fact that it happened while I was standing directly in front of his house while attempting to say good morning to him just seemed like, for lack of a better word, fate. And my judgment - the judgment that could not live with allowing an elderly stroke victim go back into his house, bleeding and alone - superseded his in this case, in my opinion. If he did have a stroke, and there was damage, I know that there is a brief window to reverse it, and would never forgive myself if I stood by and allowed anything to happen to him.

What do you think? Did I do the right thing?