Poor Teen Gives up Dream University to Care for Sick Granny, Later Becomes Owner of 5-Star Hotel — Story of the Day

Despite his strong desire to attend university, a teen forgoes it so he can stay by his grandma's side in her last days. In the end, he is blessed for his kind deed with something unexpected.

A satisfying expression took over Kyle's face as his grandmother, Ruth, retired for the night. Ever since her cancer diagnosis, Kyle feared leaving her alone. The doctor had said a year was all she had if he took good care of her. Kyle was giving it his all. He truly was.

"Ting!" beeped his phone with a message notification. He sank into bed heavily, staring at the ceiling for a while. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but it didn't work.

Eventually, he checked the message. It was from his girlfriend, Clara. "Hey, babe. How is Gran Ruth doing? I'll be there this weekend. Would you like me to get something for her?" read the message.

"Nah, it's all good. She's okay. See you," he replied and put the phone on silent.

Alone with his thoughts again, Kyle couldn't help but recall how his life had taken an odd turn...

Kyle was always a top student. Good at academics, excellent at sports, and a very hardworking teen. His Gran Ruth raised him since he was ten after his parents died in a car crash, and she'd always taught Kyle to work hard, so he did.

Kyle topped his classes and gave his all in everything to see a proud smile on Ruth's face. But with time, a lot of things changed.

Soon after Kyle was offered admission to his dream university on a scholarship, Ruth's health started failing her. Saying Kyle had spent countless hours on his admission would be an understatement. He'd poured his blood, sweat, and tears into it. But he sacrificed everything to be by his grandmother's side.

***

"Oh! Don't be stupid, boy! I'm not going anywhere! Did you forget I'm the iron lady who raised you?" Ruth said with a weak smile. "Live your life, Kyle. Don't worry about me!"

The doctor sighed. "Could you please excuse us for a moment, Mrs. Lester? I'd like to talk to Kyle in private," he said.

Ruth reluctantly left the room, and it was then that the doctor broke the bad news to Kyle. "See, Kyle, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. At this point, there is little chance that the treatment will be effective. A year is all she's got. If I were you, I would strive to make the most of her final days."

Blessings of our grandparents hold immense power.

Kyle's face was pale as he exited the room, and Ruth quickly knew something was wrong.

"Send me to a nursing home if I am becoming trouble!" she said stiffly. "I don't want my child to give up on his life because of me! Did you hear that?"

"Gran…" said Kyle sadly. "It's okay. I have to be there for you. I can't just leave you like that."

"I am not talking about those expensive nursing homes. You know there are some cheap ones too! Send me there! That's it!" she said as if she didn't hear anything Kyle said.

Kyle cried and hugged her. "I've got the rest of my life to do whatever I want, Gran. The doctor said a year is all you have! I want to be there for you…Till your last breath!"

In the end, Kyle sacrificed his dream university for Ruth, while his high school rival, Toby, who was always jealous of him, got a spot there. Toby wanted everything Kyle had. He even wanted Clara to date him, but thankfully for Kyle, she was never interested in Toby.

***

Kyle fell asleep quickly that night and only woke up to the annoying noise of the alarm clock the next morning. He washed his face and decided to check on Ruth. Thankfully, she was sleeping peacefully, and he let her be.

He made breakfast for her and left her a post-it note on the dining table. "Leaving for work, Gran. Will be home soon. I've asked Mrs. Murphy to look after you."

After sacrificing his dreams and a much-desired course in business management, Kyle began working at a local hotel as a cleaner to earn a living. He needed to provide for them, and that was the only job he could get without a degree.

Kyle's days were spent working and coming home to Ruth, feeding her, making her bed, and waiting until she fell asleep. Then he would watch something on Netflix and text Clara to ask how her university studies were. She and Toby were at the same university, and sometimes Kyle feared she would leave him for Toby.

But Clara would never love anyone the way she loved Kyle. She paid Ruth a visit that weekend and spent some time with Kyle. She promised him she'd try to visit Ruth more often.

Months went by. Kyle took the best care of Ruth until she finally passed away in her sleep. He took care of her funeral arrangements and wished her goodbye. "I will miss you, Gran," he said in tears.

Little did he know that he would be standing by her grave as a proud owner of a 5-star hotel years later…

Following Ruth's demise, her house was transferred to him. Kyle would never have considered turning it into a hotel if Clara hadn't proposed it.

"I have a degree in business, babe. We could put that to use. I think we should give it a shot. What do you think?"

Kyle found the idea interesting. He started working on it by making repairs to the house on his own, but things were not going as planned. That's when Clara's dad helped him. He loaned Kyle the money to afford contractors and other services.

After two years of hard work, the hotel was finally ready. The business was slow at first, but it eventually thrived. Standing on the foyer of his now-5-star hotel, Kyle fondly remembers Ruth's proud smile.

After decades of hard work, his and Clara's efforts brought amazing results, and Kyle—even without a business degree from his dream university—created a million-dollar business.

"Thank you, Gran," he tells Ruth every time he visits her grave. "Without your love, I wouldn't be here."

What can we learn from this story?

• Blessings of our grandparents hold immense power. Thanks to Kyle, Ruth lived a happy life and went to heaven peacefully. And the blessings she gave Kyle finally made him achieve what he wanted—a promising career in the business field.
• A sacrifice is worth it if it is done for loved ones. Ruth raised Kyle when he was a little boy of 10 and needed someone to love him. Likewise, when Ruth reached a juncture in her life where she needed support, Kyle gave up on his dreams to be there for her.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a kind-hearted boy who gave up his savings for an old woman and received tenfold the amount in return.

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