Elderly Man's Random Act Of Kindness Towards A Single Mom Goes Viral

This single mom’s post about a stranger’s act of kindness is going viral

All parents have experienced those days when it feels like every thing that can possibly goes wrong does, the days when you just can’t catch a break. But when Tawny Nelson recently found herself stranded with her four little girls and a car that wouldn’t start, lucky for her a complete stranger came to the rescue.

Nelson is a single mom to four daughters ages nine, five, two and six weeks. She reached out to KTVU evening anchor Frank Somerville to share the story of how an elderly gentleman and his wife stepped up to help her and her girls when no one else would. Somerville shared Nelson’s story on his Facebook page, where it has over 30,000 reactions and over 11,000 shares.

Nelson’s truck had a leaky tire and a couple mechanical issues, so she didn’t drive it unless it was strictly necessary. But eventually we all have to go to the store, so the other day she packed up her girls for a trip to the store. While the truck made it there without any issues, when she and the girls got out of the store, she realized the battery was dead. And if that wasn’t enough to deal with, it was pouring rain.

Nelson doesn’t have a working phone or any nearby family to call on for help. For over two hours she tried to find someone who would jump her car for her while her girls waited in the car. She asked over twenty people but, “They all ignored me. Not even a no. Just acted like I didn’t exist.” It’s bewildering how people can see another person in need and not only refuse to help, but look right through them as though they’re a ghost. Especially when there are kids involved. And she was asking for a simple car jump. It wasn’t as though she was asking for money or even to use someone’s cell phone.

By this point Nelson and all four of her kids were crying, and who could blame them? But then there was a knock at the window. An elderly man stood outside her car door with biscuits, chicken strips and water. “Feed those babies and yourself young lady, ” he told her. “I have a tow truck on the way and my wife will be here shortly to take y’all home.”

And they did. The following morning the man returned to Nelson’s house with a mechanic who repaired her car battery and alternator. The man left before the mechanic was finished but when Nelson went to pay the mechanic he told her the man had taken care of it and said, “The only payment the older man wanted was for me to never give up and keep being an amazing mom.” We might never know who this man is, but he’s obviously a saint of some sort.

Nelson doesn’t know the name or contact information of the couple who came to her rescue that night, but she said they’ve changed her life. “What he did revived my faith when I was falling apart.” Parenting is tough, but sometimes all it takes is one person acknowledging your efforts to make you feel like you can make it until your kids turn 18, or at least until bedtime.

Nelson said her only motive in sharing her story is that she hopes it inspires other people to be kinder to each other: “I’ll never be able to thank him. But I certainly hope one day I can do what he did for me for someone else.”