Texas Off-Road Shop Drives Nurses Through Ice Storm

When Mikki Sells and her fellow nurses tried driving home Tuesday night, their truck started sliding backward down a steep, icy hill. Stranded at the top and terrified, they knew exactly who to call.

Kevin Barwell runs Trendsetter Customs, an off-road shop in Weatherford, Texas. When winter storms hit, he doesn't stay home.

"Everybody needs help in a bad time. And this seems like a bad time," Barwell said.

Since Friday, he and a group of volunteer drivers have been transporting nurses to and from their shifts at local hospitals. The Dallas area winter storm turned roads into ice rinks, making normal commutes impossible for healthcare workers who can't just stay home.

Barwell's Saturday started at 5 a.m., shuttling nurses for the 6 a.m. shift change. Between deliveries, he pulled stuck vehicles off roads, then repeated the cycle for the 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. shifts.

When Sells called Tuesday night, Barwell had just gotten home from his last delivery. He was about to step into the shower after another marathon day.

"She's like, 'We're stuck on the hill. Can you please rescue us?'" he recalled. Five minutes later, the nurses were safely on their way home.

For Sells, getting to work has become a job of its own. But she knows why it matters.

"We're nurses. We have to be there to help people," she said. "Without us, they wouldn't have anybody. So it's what we have to do."

The Ripple Effect

Barwell's volunteer work extends beyond healthcare workers. His team continues monitoring calls for anyone needing emergency transport as freezing conditions make travel dangerous throughout the community.

The military veteran of 20 years says he doesn't need recognition. He understands what it's like to be in a bad situation.

But Sells has a message she hopes reaches him anyway: "I'd love to give him a big old hug. Thank you so much. I hope you get the recognition you deserve."

As long as the ice remains and nurses need to reach their patients, Barwell and his volunteers will keep their phones on and their trucks ready.