It’s not often that motorists are grateful to get pulled over by law enforcement. But a South Carolina woman who ended up being treated for a brain tumor following a traffic stop is crediting police with the chance diagnosis.

According to the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Patrol Officers First Class Aton and Schoonmaker pulled Tamara Palmer over on suspicion of drunk driving on December 2 when they witnessed her swerving and hitting the curb several times. After making the traffic stop, however, they realized that she needed urgent medical treatment.

According to officers, it was clear that Palmer was not impaired by drugs or alcohol. They were more concerned about the headache she was complaining about.

“The officers determined that Ms. Palmer was possibly having a medical episode and requested an ambulance,” department spokesperson Sergeant Ashley Croy said.

The ambulance transported Palmer to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent an eight-hour surgery to remove it.

Palmer later followed up with the police department to tell them the outcome of her procedure and thank them for their help during the fortunate traffic stop. On March 10, she delightedly presented Aton and Schoonmaker with department lifesaving awards for their helpful intervention.

“Without their quick analysis of the situation, the outcome could have ended differently,” the police department wrote on Facebook.