A Birmingham, Alabama brain surgeon is being hailed as a hero after he defied the harsh winter storm that shut down the town to answer the call for an emergency.

Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw received a call while attending patients at Brookwood Medical Center that he was needed miles away at Trinity Medical Center for emergency surgery.   Dr. Hrynkiw is the only brain surgeon on staff for Trinity Medical Center.

The neurosurgeon rushed to his car and attempted to drive to the other hospital only to find he was trapped a few blocks away by abandoned cars and traffic because of the massive snowstorm that blanketed the city.

So the doctor called Trinity on his fading cell phone and said that he would be walking.

The charge nurse at Trinity called local police to have them on the lookout for the doctor but despite a few reported sightings no one was able to find him.  Hours later, the doctor called from inside the hospital after making the over 6-mile trek.

Dr. Hrynkiw rushed to the family’s side to get health information and then rushed in to complete the surgery for a traumatic brain injury.  Hospital officials say that the patient would have most likely died if it wasn’t for the doctor arriving when he did to perform the surgery.