“Oh, is she at work?” Anastacia asked.
“No, she’s in the hospital. She needs surgery, but it’s really expensive,” Mark explained, his expression falling. “I started a GoFundMe, but it’s not getting much attention. The hospital is letting her stay for now, but we need to raise a lot more money.”
Mary and Anastacia exchanged a look and made a decision in that moment. “Give us the link to the GoFundMe, and come with us to the bakery. We’ll bring your grandma some pie, and maybe the doctor will let her have a bite,” Mary suggested.
“You really don’t have to do that,” Mark hesitated.
“We want to,” Anastacia said firmly, and they headed to the bakery together.
After buying some pies, they visited Mark’s grandmother, Mrs. Julie Strada, at the hospital. They spent time with her, and when it was time to leave, Mark decided to stay the night with his grandma. On the way home, Anastacia shared the GoFundMe link with everyone she could think of and even donated some money herself.
“We need to do more,” Mary sighed, feeling the weight of how much the surgery would cost. “Sharing the link might not be enough.”
Anastacia thought for a moment. “How about we share the story of how Mark helped you? He didn’t know if you’d repay him, but he still chose to help, even though he needs the money more than anyone. Maybe the story could go viral.”
“That’s a long shot, Anastacia,” Mary said, feeling doubtful.
“It’s worth trying,” Anastacia insisted, and she posted the story on Reddit and social media.
At first, the story didn’t gain much traction, but after a few days, donations began to pour in. Soon, a major news outlet picked up the story, interviewing Mary and Mark for an article. The GoFundMe quickly surpassed its goal of $230,000, and Mark was overwhelmed. He had only spent around $20 to help Mary at the grocery store, but in return, she had found a way to help him and his grandmother in ways he never could have imagined.
Lessons from this story:
- Acts of kindness can have unexpected ripple effects. Mark’s small gesture of helping Mary at the store resulted in life-changing support for his family.
- There are still good people in the world. Stories like this remind us that compassion and generosity thrive, and sometimes, it takes just one act of kindness to inspire many more.
Share this story with your friends—it might brighten their day and inspire them!