Orphan Boy Works Daily to Help Sick Adoptive Mom, Learns Her Bills Had Been Paid by Stranger — Story of the Day

An orphaned boy is desperate when his adoptive mom becomes ill. He tries to raise money for her medical bills until one day, an act of kindness turns his life around.

When Sally walked in the door of the group home and smiled at Joel, he knew she was the one. He'd been there for three years since his mom died of cancer, and he'd seen a lot of kids meet their new families. There was a special electricity, a recognition when it was right.

Joel knew it was Sally! From the first day, Joel and Sally bonded. She was divorced but had always wanted to be a mom. With Joel, her dream came true!

For a long time, Joel believed he was safe, The terrible luck that had robbed him of his dad before birth and of his mom when he was just five had turned around.

From now on, it was going to be blue skies and pink clouds all the way. Then one day, Sally fainted. She was in the kitchen making pancakes, laughing with Joel, and she just folded over.

She dropped the pan and burned her hand badly too, even though she only felt it when she woke up. Joel insisted she go to the ER to have her burn looked at, and that was how they discovered she was sick, very sick.

The most wonderful things happen when we least expect them.

Sally told Joel not to worry, but he heard her on the phone arguing with the insurance guy about her medical coverage. Apparently, they didn't pay for everything, and there wasn't enough money.

"Is it because of me?" Joel asked anxiously. "I know having a kid is expensive..."

"No, honey!" Sally cried, pulling Joel into her arms and covering him with kisses. "Don't EVER think that!"

But Joel did, and he worried. He remembered reading in a book once that some kids sold lemonade to raise money. Maybe he could do that! First, he needed lemons.

He went to the grocery store and bought a bag of lemons and a pound of sugar. That afternoon, he made two big jars of lemonade and set up a little table in front of his house.

"$1 a glass," he told passersby. "The best lemonade in town!"

The grown-ups thought it was cute, and he quickly emptied the jars, but when he counted out the money, he had only $8! Joel figured out that with what the lemons and the sugar cost, he was barely breaking even.

He was carrying the jars away when he saw a wallet lying on the grass. He picked it up and looked for a name. It belonged to a Mr. Dome, and the address was right across town. Then Joel saw that there was a huge wad of cash in the wallet, more money than he'd ever seen before.

He had to take the wallet to Mr. Dome, so Joel carefully put the money in his jacket pockets, tucked the wallet into the back pocket of his jeans, and off he went.

Two hours later, he was knocking on Mr. Dome's door. "Hello," he said. "I found your wallet and your money!"

He gave Mr. Dome the wallet and reached into his jacket pockets for the money. It was gone! Desperately, Joel searched his pockets again and again, then he burst into tears.

"I didn't take you money1" sobbed Joel. "I swear, I didn't!"

"It's OK, Joel," the man said gently. "The money wasn't the important bit. Look." Mr. Dome showed Joel a photo that was tucked into the wallet.

"This is the last photo I took with my wife before she passed away," he said. "This is worth more than any amount of money. I can make more money, I can't replace this."

But Joel couldn't stop crying. "It's the bad luck," he cried. "It's my fault Sally is sick, and it's my fault mom and dad died and your money is gone!"

"That's a big burden for a little boy," Mr. Dome said gently. "Why don't you tell me all about it?"

Joel did, and Mr. Dome listened. In the end, he shook Joel's hand and told him not to worry. "I have a feeling your luck has changed, young man, you wait and see!"

He was right! Two days later, Sally received a phone call. She was told someone had paid for her treatment at an exclusive clinic specializing in her condition.

Joel went along. He wanted to make sure Sally was alright. To his surprise, the first person he saw was Mr. Dome, and he was wearing a white coat and a stethoscope.

"Hey there, Joel," he smiled. "Didn't I tell you your luck's changed? It brought you to my door, and I promise you, your mom is going to be alright!"

What can we learn from this story?

• The most wonderful things happen when we least expect them. Joel thought he was bad luck, but thanks to him, Sally was treated by the best doctor, and for free!
• Live every moment and be true to yourself. Joel and Sally learned to cherish each other and make the most of every single day they were together.

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 man who had lost his family and decided to adopt a little boy that no one wants because he has Down syndrome. Years later, he is contacted by a lawyer with surprising news.

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.