State Police assist in getting the patient on a plane in Jamestown.

A woman in need of a heart transplant in Cleveland Clinic received an assist from New York State Police after being stuck on Route 5 Friday during the lake-effect snowstorm.

Troopers made contact with the 64-year-old woman who left the Rochester area with her husband enroute to Cleveland Clinic for a heart transplant. While traveling in the town of Portland, due to the severity of the snowstorm and road conditions in the area, they became stranded. The woman had a battery powered heart pump and before the situation became critical the husband made contact with a nurse from Cleveland Clinic.

That nurse was able to contact the State Police and Troopers were able to maintain continuous contact and locate them with a State Police Utility Task Vehicle. Troopers implemented a plan to transport the 64-year-old to Portland Fire Department then to Westfield Memorial Hospital.

Troopers then transported her to the Jamestown Airport in Chautauqua County clear of the storm and she was flown by plane out of the area to Cleveland Clinic for the heart transplant.

“This is an incredible story of perseverance and coordination,” the State Police said in a news release. “The actions of the Troopers, medical staff, and transportation teams highlight how critical teamwork and quick thinking can save lives, even in the face of severe weather conditions. It’s heartening to see such dedication to ensuring a patient received a life-saving heart transplant despite the challenges posed by the snowstorm.”

During the winter storm from Thanksgiving to Sunday, in the southern areas of Western New York along the I-90 corridor from Erie County to the Pennsylvania state line, Troopers assisted 110 disabled vehicles, investigated 79 property damage collisions and investigated seven personal injury collisions.