Despite the dangerous weather conditions and extensive traffic jam in Alabama, Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw walked six miles in the snow on Tuesday in order to perform emergency surgery on a dying patient, NBCNews.com reported.
When he realized traveling by car would be nearly impossible, Dr. Hrynkiw, 62, traveled from Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham to Trinity Medical Center by foot.
"It really wasn't that big of a deal," the neurosurgeon said on Thursday. "I walk a lot, so it wasn't that big of a deal."
However, the doctor added he wasn't exactly prepared for the frigid walk.
"It was kind of a nice day for a walk. It was kind of a fun journey, unfortunately I had my slip-ons and my scrubs...so I was not really geared for my adventure."
Hrynkiw said he left Brookwood at 10:45 a.m. and was operating on the patient -- suffering from traumatic brain injury -- at Trinity by 12:45 p.m. Additionally, he was able to receive the patient's CT scan via text message on his walk over.
"He had a 90 percent chance of death," Hrynkiw said. "If he didn't have surgery, he'd be dead. It's not going to happen on my shift."
Steve Davis, charge nurse in the neuro-intensive care unit at Trinity, said "the patient would have most likely died" without the help of Dr. Hrynkiw -- the only brain surgeon at the hospital.
"This just speaks volumes to the dedication of the man," Davis added. "When I saw him, all I could say is 'you are a good man.'"
