A mother and her teenage son ran through a dangerous storm to bring their 93-year-old neighbor to safety when tornado sirens started blaring across their Michigan town.
We all know what it feels like to worry about the people we care about during emergencies. Most of us have that one neighbor or friend who lives alone, and we wonder if they’re okay when bad weather hits.
Riley McKillen-Dean felt that same concern when tornado warnings came through her phone.
The Viral Video That Touched Millions
Riley, who goes by @riley22ann on TikTok, caught the whole thing on her doorbell camera. The black and white video shows her and her son helping 93-year-old Mary Westhoff into their home as tornado sirens sound in the background.
Riley wrote on the video, “We made it to the basement and stay safe during the storm.” More than 30 million people have watched it.
How Their Friendship Began
The friendship between Riley and Mary started five years ago during another storm. A tree fell near Mary’s house, and Riley and her husband had just moved in next door.
“I had never met her before but my husband and I took off running to her house, banging on her door drenched,” Riley told McClatchy News. They wanted to make sure their new neighbor was safe.
That first meeting changed everything. Riley says they became best friends.
“Since then we go shopping together, we go out to dinner together, we drink wine together, we even went to Utah for a weekend together to visit her daughter,” Riley shared. She calls Mary family, not just a neighbor.
Racing Against the Storm
When the tornado warning came through recently, Riley was on her porch with her son. Her phone buzzed with an alert telling her to find shelter right away.
Her first thought was about Miss Mary. They ran to Mary’s house, and the sirens started going off just as Mary opened her door.
Riley and Mary decided it would be safer for Mary to come to Riley’s house. They headed for the basement, but they waited for a moment because going down stairs is hard for Mary.
When another alert came through with more sirens, they made their way downstairs. There they watched the news on their phones and waited for the storm to pass.
“We heard the sirens go off, we heard them go on, then back off again and we thought ‘Well this is just another adventure we’re on together,'” Riley said.
Riley lost her grandparents when she was young. She believes God sent Mary into her life at just the right time. “I feel like our entire friendship was a moment of the right place at the right time,” she said.
Riley explained that Mary’s family stays in touch but couldn’t drive safely in the storm. Bringing Mary to her house was “quicker and safer for all.”
This story shows us what loving your neighbor really looks like. Sometimes it means running through dangerous weather to make sure someone isn’t alone.
Riley and Mary’s friendship reminds us that God uses ordinary people to show His love in extraordinary ways.
WATCH: Mom and Son Rush to Rescue 93-Year-Old Neighbor During Tornado
@riley22ann We made it to the basement and stay safe during the storm ️ #neighbors #besties #tornado #tornadosiren #weather #storm #extremeweather #michigan #thunder #hail #weathertok #tornadotok ♬ original sound – RileyannMD
