Mary realized she had forgotten her wallet when she tried to pay for her groceries—but to her surprise, a kind-hearted boy named Mark stepped in and paid for her. Later, Mary and her daughter discovered that Mark’s grandmother was in desperate need of an expensive surgery, and they were determined to do something that would change the young boy’s life.
“Oh no… I must’ve left my wallet in John’s car. I’m really sorry,” Mary said to the cashier, who had already begun to gather the items back onto the shelves. “I’ll come back later,” she added, zipping her bag and turning to leave. But just then, the boy standing in line behind her spoke up.
“Wait, ma’am. You don’t have that much. I’ll cover it,” he offered kindly. Mary turned to look at him—he appeared no older than 12 and was clearly not well-off.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t let you do that,” Mary protested.
“I insist, ma’am. My grandma always says we should do good deeds because karma always pays you back,” the boy replied as he placed his small number of items on the belt and paid for Mary’s groceries. Thankfully, it was just a few necessities.
Mary’s daughter, Anastacia, had the flu, and she had traveled from San Diego to Santa Ana in hopes of finding someone to help care for the kids while her husband was away on a business trip in Europe. Her friend John had driven her there, so it was likely she had left her wallet in his car.
After the boy paid, Mary and he stepped outside together. “I’m Mary Cummings. What’s your name?” she asked with a warm smile.
“I’m Mark,” he replied.
“Well, Mark, I really appreciate what you did. You saved me another trip to the store,” Mary said. “Please, give me your phone number so I can pay you back as soon as I get my wallet.” Mark wrote his number on the back of the receipt.
“Here it is—but don’t worry, there’s no rush. I live nearby,” he said casually.
“Even though I believe in paying it forward too, like you and your grandma, I still believe in settling my debts,” Mary said as they went their separate ways.
When she returned home, Mary told Anastacia about the incident—the forgotten wallet, the kind boy at the store, and how he paid for their things. She had only bought ingredients to make chicken noodle soup, so it wasn’t a lot. “Still, it was heartwarming to see a young boy be so generous,” she concluded as she put the groceries away and began cooking.
“I agree,” Anastacia said. “Kids today are advanced, but not all of them are that considerate.”
“I don’t think that boy comes from money,” Mary mused. “Maybe that’s why he’s so compassionate. But I worry he might have really needed that money himself.” Thankfully, John called back and promised to bring her wallet to Santa Ana the next day.
Mary and Anastacia rang the doorbell at Mark’s home. John had returned Mary’s wallet, and she had called Mark to arrange to repay him. He had shared his address, and now they stood in front of a small, old house.
Though modest, the garden was neatly kept. It was clear that, despite their circumstances, the people living here took pride in their home. Mark answered the door.
“Hi, Mrs. Cummings,” he greeted.
“Hi, Mark! This is my daughter, Anastacia. We brought your money,” Mary said with a bright smile. “Thank you again for your help.”
“You didn’t have to come so soon,” Mark said politely, glancing behind him. “I’d invite you in, but I can’t have guests. My grandma wouldn’t like it.”
“Oh? Where is she? Maybe we can meet her later. Does she like pecan pie? We’re headed to the bakery,” Anastacia said, cheerful and curious.
Mark hesitated before saying, “She’s actually in the hospital. She won’t be out for a while.” When Mary and Anastacia pressed gently for more information, he explained, “She needs a big surgery. I started a GoFundMe to raise money for it, but it hasn’t gained much attention yet. The hospital understands, so they’re keeping her while I try to gather the funds.”
“Oh, sweetie… You shouldn’t have to handle all that alone,” Anastacia said with concern.
“We don’t have anyone else. It’s just the two of us,” Mark replied with a shrug. Mary and Anastacia exchanged a look—an unspoken agreement passed between them.
“Give me the GoFundMe link and your grandmother’s name. Also, come with us to the bakery,” Mary said. “We’ll go visit her and see if her doctor allows her to have some pie.” Her tone made it clear it wasn’t really a suggestion.
“Are you sure? You don’t have to,” Mark said.
“No—we have to,” Anastacia insisted, and Mark agreed to join them.
After picking out pies, they visited Mark’s grandmother, Mrs. Julie Strada, in the hospital. After chatting for a while, Mark chose to stay with her that night, and Mary and Anastacia headed home.
Once home, Anastacia shared the GoFundMe link with everyone she knew and even donated a few hundred dollars herself. But Mary felt worried. “There’s still so much money needed for the surgery. I’m not sure sharing the link will be enough,” she said, clearly frustrated.
“Let’s brainstorm,” Anastacia replied thoughtfully. “How about sharing the story—about how he helped you even though he’s struggling, and he didn’t even know you’d pay him back. Maybe it’ll go viral. Try Reddit.”
“That kind of thing is a one-in-a-million shot,” Mary said, doubtful.
“We’ll see,” Anastacia grinned and began typing the story. She posted it on Reddit and shared it across social media.
At first, there weren’t many responses. But soon, people began to notice. Donations started trickling in. Over the next few days, the story spread widely, and the GoFundMe got closer to the $230,000 goal—the full amount needed for Mrs. Strada’s treatment.
Then, unexpectedly, a major media outlet picked up the story and interviewed both Mary and Mark. The fundraising campaign surpassed its goal, and everyone was overwhelmed with joy. Mark couldn’t believe it. He had spent $20 to help a woman in need, and she ended up repaying him many times over.
What can we learn from this story?
Helping others can change your life. Mark helped a stranger in need without expecting anything in return—and that single act of kindness brought life-changing support his way.
Good people still exist in the world. The story going viral and receiving enough donations proves that generosity and kindness are still alive.
Sharing inspiring stories can make a difference. You never know who might read it and be moved to help.
Share this story with your friends—it just might lift someone’s spirits or inspire them to pay it forward.