Asthmatic Runs Out of Inhalers during Attack, Unexpectedly Gets Help from Little Boy - Story of the Day

An older man is having an asthma attack when he runs out of inhalers. He desperately cries for help, but nobody comes to his aid except a young boy who saves his life by doing something unexpected.

65-year-old Freddy Harris took his rake, walked to the park's far end, and began cleaning the dry leaves. The weather had been incredibly windy for the past few days, and the trees were shedding extensively, so Freddy had to work extra hard every day to keep the park clean.

When he was younger, Freddy didn't mind it. He'd been cleaning the park for as long as he could remember, and he loved his job. But as he became older and his asthma worsened, he struggled to get the job done. Moreover, the naughty kids from the nearby school constantly bothered him, making his job more difficult.

That day, after cleaning the park, Freddy was resting on a bench when he heard the rustle of dried leaves. He rose from the seat and turned around to see a bunch of kids leaping on the mound of leaves he'd piled in the corner, littering the entire park.

"You kids, stop right there!" he yelled. But the kids paid no attention to him. They continued to run around and play, littering the whole area with leaves.

"You're scruffy and dirty! Stay away from me! I don't want to help you!"

Freddy lost his cool and approached them. "What do you think you're trying to do, you naughty heads? You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?"

"So? We can do whatever we want! And you're going to clean it!" a boy teased him.

"Why do you kids always trouble me so much? Please, stop it!" Freddy begged them.

"But we like playing with the dried leaves. I am not leaving!" another girl cried.

"Yes! Yes! WE WANT TO PLAY HERE!!" the other kids cried in unison.

"But…." Freddy sighed, unsure what to do.

The kids returned to playing, and Freddy realized he wouldn't be able to go home any sooner because he'd have to clear the area all over again. He returned to the bench and looked at the kids with sad eyes, stressed about the extra work he'd have to do.

Freddy wasn't in the best of health that day, and due to the stress, he started to gasp for breath. He tried to concentrate on his breathing but he knew what was happening. He was having an asthma attack.

He reached into his ragged bag for his inhaler, only to realize it had run out. He reached into his bag for a spare one, and couldn't find it. He must have left it at home.

With trembling hands, he pulled out his phone to dial 911, but luck didn't seem to be on his side that day. His phone was dead.

At that point, Freddy panicked, which worsened his condition. "Help, help me, please..." he murmured as he approached a group of children playing nearby.

"You're scruffy and dirty! Stay away from me! I don't want to help you!" one of them yelled and ran away. The other kids followed.

Freddy sank to the ground and was crying at this point. "Please, someone help me," he whispered helplessly.

Just then, he felt a warm hand on his shoulders. Freddy looked up and saw the same boy who was troubling him a while ago.

"I know you're having an asthma attack, Freddy," he whispered gently, holding Freddy's hands. "You're going to be okay. I called 911, and they're on the way. My Gran also gets these attacks, and I know just the way to help her. Just look at me, okay?"

Freddy didn't understand what the boy, Aiden, was trying to tell him, but his words helped him calm down a little. Then he started to dance, throwing his arms in the air and clumsily leaping around, singing a nursery rhyme.

"You might think it's a stupid nursery rhyme, Freddy, but Gran loves it! Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb! Mary had a little lamb, whose fleece was white as snow…."

As Aiden started singing and doing his silly dance, Freddy began to feel better. He looked at him, teary-eyed, smiling at the young boy's innocence. In no time, the paramedics arrived and gave Freddy the help he needed.

When Freddy was feeling slightly better, Aiden and the other kids approached him and apologized. "We are sorry, Freddy. We won't trouble you again. We regret it!" they cried in unison.

"Yes, Freddy," Aiden added. "We didn't know you were sick. Gran says she gets such attacks when she is too worried or upset. I think we troubled you too much. We will make it up to you, Freddy! That's a promise! Come on, guys! Let's do it!" he said.

With that, all the kids dashed to different spots around the park and began collecting the dry leaves and sweeping the area. Freddy looked at them with tears in his eyes. When they were done, he treated them to ice cream.

"Thank you for the treat, Freddy!" Aiden smiled as he devoured his favorite chocolate ice cream. "We are sorry again, and from now, we'll try to help you by not bothering you."

"Thank you, children," Freddy replied, nodding lightly. "This old man would really appreciate that. Really…." he said.

From that day on, the kids helped Freddy after classes by keeping an eye on those littering around the area, and on some days, after helping with the cleaning, they all sat together, ate ice cream, and sang Aiden's nursery rhyme.

"Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb! Mary had a little lamb, whose fleece was white as snow…." Aiden would also dance to the song with Freddy, who would try his best to copy Aiden's moves yet fail at it. And in the end, they'd all burst out laughing.

What can we learn from this story?

• There's a little good in everyone. While Aiden and his friends were a bunch of naughty kids who loved troubling Freddy, they also had the kindness to rectify their mistakes and help Freddy.
• Respect and support blue-collar workers because they matter a lot to each of us. It's because of hardworking and diligent people like Freddy that our surroundings are clean and hygienic. We should all be kind to them and respect them.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a kind ice cream seller who does something unexpected after he overhears a boy being mocked for not being able to afford ice cream.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.