Few things are more stressful than being stuck somewhere with your kids when your car breaks down—imagine being trapped with four kids, including a six-week-old infant, with no phone and no one to call. It’s not easy to rely on strangers’ goodwill, but when Tawny Nelson was stuck with her four children (ages 9, 5, 2, and 6 weeks), she had no alternative but to swallow her pride and ask passers-by for assistance!
After being IGNORED or insulted time after time, a miracle occurred. Tawny relayed her story to KTVU News anchor Frank Somerville, who shared it on his Facebook page, where it rapidly went viral—and for good reason! Tawny Nelson is pictured with three of her four children. She recently informed me about her experience in Florida.
And how a 74-year-old man knocking on the window of her truck has helped restore her faith in people. (I swear I got chills when I read what happened next). Here’s what she wrote me: I am the single mother of four absolutely beautiful little girls. They are 9, 5, 2, and 6 weeks. And things have been particularly rough since my ex left.
My truck had a flat I constantly had to air up. The driver-side window motor d.ied. And I needed a new alternator belt. The truck was a mess.
And we didn’t drive anywhere unless we had to. Well, the other day we desperately need to go to the store. So we loaded up and drove to the Winn Dixie about 9 blocks away.
When we got out of the store it was far after dark. And POURING rain. I loaded my kids and groceries into the truck. Tried to crank it…… Nothing. No click. Nothing.
One of my girls accidentally left a light on. My battery was dead. My phone was also disconnected. I have no family to speak of and was on my own. I got out and opened my hood to be sure my battery hadn’t come loose Nope. I must have asked more than twenty people in the course of two hours for a jump.
They all ignored me. Not even a no. Just acted like I didn’t exist. My 5-Year-old was melting down. My newborn SCREAMING, my two-year-old crying she was hungry, and my oldest desperately trying to help. I was bawling and felt like the worst Mom ever.
Then I got a knock on the passenger window. An older gentleman (he was 74) with a cane and a bad limp was on the other side of that knock. I opened the door. He handed me a plate of chicken strips and biscuits from the deli and bottles of water.
“Feed those babies and your self young lady. I have a tow truck on the way and my wife will be here shortly to take y’all home.” Sure enough she arrived followed by the tow truck. Us and our truck were taken home.
The next morning the gentleman returned to my house with a mechanic who replaced my battery and alternator and fixed my window.
The elderly gentleman then left and did not return. When I asked what I owed the mechanic and if I could make payments he smiled telling me the older man had paid for all of it. He said that the only payment the older man wanted was for me to never give up and keep being an amazing mom.
I’ve never cried so hard in my life. Things had been absolutely awful. More so than I care to explain. And without knowing us or our situation this kind man helped us in ways he will never know. What he did was revive my faith when I was falling apart But he wouldn’t even take a hug.
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.