THE UNBELIEVABLE SHARK ENCOUNTER
THAT SAVED A MAN’S LIFE
Sharks are powerful, violent creatures. They can have thousands of razor-sharp teeth. They swim about 12 mph when attacking — twice the speed of a (very fast) human swimmer. The mere presence of a shark is enough to close down a beach and frighten movie audiences.
of his back, as well as several teeth marks on one side. The family headed home as lifeguards closed the beach, fearing more attacks. That evening, Eugene was in severe pain from the injury and was rushed to the hospital. Not surprisingly, blunt force trauma was causing his pain, befitting a large shark ramming him in the back. However, this wasn’t the only diagnosis he received that day, nor was it the most severe. While examining Eugene, doctors discovered a walnut-sized tumor on his right kidney. They quickly rolled him into the operating room and removed the cancerous tumor before it could progress. Whether the shark intended it or not, it may have saved Eugene’s life. Undetected, the tumor might have metastasized and spread to the rest of his body. Without that attack, he may not have known about the cancer before it was too late. Because of that fact, we are confident the shark is a hero, whether it knows it or not.
Apparently, some sharks are different. One shark even saved a man’s life.
Eugene and his family were enjoying a warm summer day in Huntington Beach, California. As he swam in the ocean, enjoying the cool waters of the Pacific, he was struck by a sudden tremendous force, pushing his neck backward. He later described the sensation as “instant whiplash.” After a difficult and painful swim, he reached the shore. Eugene’s daughter asked why his back was so bloody. He was shocked to find a giant gash across the center
Samantha’s Food Drive PARALEGAL FIGHTS HUNGER STATEWIDE
Samantha Baughman, our rock star paralegal, serves as statewide representative of the Paralegal Association of Central Ohio (PACO). This past February, she collaborated with three other paralegal associations across Ohio to organize drives to help local food banks. She’s previously hosted several food drives for pets as part of her work with local animal shelters, and wanted to coordinate one to help people. The seed for the food drive was planted last October when she went to the National Federation of Paralegal Association’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., as an Ohio delegate. PACO held its first food drive in 2023 and wanted to do it again in 2024, so Samantha decided to jump in and get the ball rolling. While at the conference, she called the Mid-Ohio Food Collective to discuss setting up a food drive on their behalf. She then contacted three other paralegal organizations in Ohio and held Zoom meetings to organize food drives across the state. Samantha organized the local food drive on behalf of PACO, partnering with
local law firms and legal vendors to gather both food items and monetary contributions.
The food drive generated 700 pounds of non- perishable food and $97.75 in donations. The Mid-Ohio Food Collective can distribute up to $4.56 in groceries for every $1 collected and serves 20 counties across central Ohio. You can learn more about them at mofc.org. An Ohio native, Samantha was a member of the Tucson Paralegal Association while her husband was stationed in Arizona with the U.S. Air Force. When they returned to Ohio, she joined PACO. After a few years, she was approached by several leaders of the organization who suggested she apply to become the statewide/ secondary representative on behalf of the organization. She began her term July 1, 2023. PACO is dedicated to helping paralegals advance their careers professionally, by offering free continuing legal education (CLE) programs for members and hosting
networking events. Samantha’s favorite thing about PACO is the opportunity to go to free CLE presentations, including ones about workers’ compensation. You can learn more about PACO at pacoparalegals.org. We are proud of Samantha’s commitment to our clients at Monast Law Office, and to our surrounding community, and just wanted you to know her a little better!
2
www.monastlaw.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator