WINK News viewer might have saved a SWFL businessman’s life

A WINK News viewer was able to possibly save a businessman’s life after seeing a concerning lump on his throat during a commercial, and the two strangers have now met for the first time.

When the general manager of Castilla Roofing, Freddy Jaramillo, shot his commercial, he was pretty nervous. He admits to being fairly camera shy.

But, if it weren’t for that commercial, and the woman he just met, he probably wouldn’t be sitting here.

“I probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” Jaramillo said.

Sarah Rodriguez saw the commercial just as many other viewers did. But, Sarah specifically saw Freddy’s throat and knew she needed to speak to him. “I’m like, ‘holy crap, I need to really get a hold of them,'” Rodriguez said.

Sarah says she’s been trained from childhood to look for tumors. She’s had three on her thyroid.

“I ended up having 90% of my thyroid removed,” Jaramillo said.

At the time she viewed the commercial, she didn’t even know Freddy’s name. When she sent Castilla Roofing a message on Facebook she referred to him as “the person in the commercial.”

She said “they may really want to look into getting their thyroid checked.” Freddy took the advice of a stranger and discovered he had a tumor. It had been growing for a decade.

“If they didn’t have it removed that it would have eventually closed my windpipe my breathing tube basically,” said Freddy. He had successful surgery to remove what was a benign tumor.

The two met and hugged for the first time. But they don’t feel like they’re strangers since they share a special bond. Both are tumor-free.

“I wanted to cry, honestly. Because I don’t know. It’s like it’s some weird connection. We didn’t even know each other, you know?” said Rodriguez.

“I wanted to cry too, but I don’t try to show my emotions,” said Jaramillo. He definitely felt quite a few emotions at once.

Sarah recognizes that she may have saved Freddy’s life and she thinks, maybe, that makes all that she’s gone through worth it. Freddy and Sarah both say they hope this story encourages anyone who sees something to say something. You never know when you could save a life.