Poor Paralyzed Dad of 2 Creates Shop of Good Deeds, Soon Has Countless Buyers — Story of the Day

Blake's life turned upside down in the blink of an eye after he was paralyzed and left to care for his two sons alone. He never forgot the kindness people showed him during that phase, so he created a 'good deeds' shop, not knowing what it would bring.

The breeze gently kissed Blake's face as he sat in his wheelchair on the front porch, remembering his late wife. Not long ago, he was a happy family man, and life had been pleasant. Unfortunately, a car accident destroyed everything.

Blake lost both his wife and his ability to walk in the accident. He panicked when he regained consciousness in the hospital room and realized his wife wasn't there.

When the doctors shook their heads and delivered the terrible news to him that his wife had died, Blake cried for hours. He couldn't believe his wife, his dear Rose, was not coming back...

Blake came home from the hospital, paralyzed and in a wheelchair, to a grand celebration organized by the neighbors and his two sons, Ryle and Max. Tears rose in his eyes to see the smile on all the people gathered there, including his sons.

"Dad! Welcome home!" Max chirped.

"Dad, dad, we've got the cake too! The chocolate one! It's your favorite, right?" Ryle added.

"Kids…" Blake said, teary-eyed. "Your mom…

she is not coming back. She's with the angel now, and we only have each other…"

Sometimes, you see a small ray of light and hope in the darkest situations, and it changes you forever.

"We know, Dad..." Ryle said sadly. "When you were in the hospital, the neighbors visited you. They also looked after us when you were not home. I know I'm older than Max, and I was supposed to look after him, but I couldn't have done everything without the help of our neighbors..."

"They helped you two all these days?" Blake was taken aback. "Really?"

After Blake met with the accident, he was unconscious for weeks in the hospital. He had no idea his neighbors had been his rock in tough times and looked after his two sons.

"Yes, Dad," Max said. "They did. They helped us. Everyone! We did miss Mom a lot, but she would've hated to see us sad, right? Let's be happy for Mom's sake, Dad. Please?"

Blake cried as he sliced the cake that day, but he was so proud of his two sons for being so strong in the face of the family tragedy. And he was grateful to his neighbors for pitching in to help him and his family.

***

The next morning, Blake woke up late. Ryle assisted him in getting into the wheelchair, and as they exited the room, Blake was surprised to see the dinner table set with breakfast. He then entered the kitchen and noticed his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Sebastian, preparing more food.

"Oh, you're here, deary!" The 70-year-old said with a smile. "Come on, come on, join us for breakfast."

"Mrs. Sebastian!" gasped Blake. "The breakfast alone would've taken you hours to prepare! And you're making more food for us?"

"Oh!" She laughed. "I'll be busy all day because I have some guests coming over, so I thought I'd make lunch before I leave."

"Mrs. Sebastian cooks for us every day, Dad! And she's brilliant! Try some!" Max chirped.

Who does so much for their neighbors these days? How will I ever repay their kindness? Will I be able to do so? Blake wondered.

Not just that, Mrs. Sebastian also assisted Max and Ryle in getting ready for school every morning. When Blake asked why she was helping them, she simply said, "Deary, my grandkids rarely visit me. I miss them, and your boys are like my grandchildren. I assist you because God helps me every day."

Blake was moved by his neighbors' kindness, which gave him the confidence to look on the bright side of life. He didn't want to sit in a wheelchair for hours in vain, so he decided to push himself and learn new things. He enrolled in an online marketing and programming course, and soon after, he came up with the brilliant idea of opening a 'good deeds' shop...

***

"Don't kids know a lot about programming and stuff these days?" he asked his sons naively.

"Dad!" Ryle laughed. "Learning to code requires a whole major in college, but one of my friends is really good at it! He likes software and other things, and yes, he codes."

"Can he help me out?" asked Blake. "I had this idea about creating an online store. It's where people get to do good deeds by signing up on our site and whatever money we make goes for donations! The neighbors helped us, boys, and we can do something to help others in need!"

"Well, that's a good idea, Dad," Max said innocently. "But I can't help you, sorry! I hate studies and working!"

Both Blake and Ryle laughed. They hadn't smiled like that since Rose's death.

"I'll help you, Dad," said Ryle. "Let's get this done!"

So Blake enlisted the assistance of Riley's friend, and together they created the 'DEEDS OF GOODNESS' -- an online store where you could do good deeds and pay it forward!

When Blake created it, he had no idea he'd wake up to countless notifications on his phone and the news that several people were moved by his initiative and wanted to spread good deeds...

So many people are buying the services? he wondered as he looked at his phone screen, and tears came to his eyes. This is insane!

Blake's website offered small services such as transporting goods, mowing lawns, being a driver for an hour, and so on. People signed up as 'buyers' for those services, and the proceeds went to charity.

Blake was initially disheartened when his idea wasn't working. The website barely had any visitors in the beginning, so he lost hope. But with time, things changed, and Blake had no idea how his two sons had secretly advertised his movement to spread goodness.

It had taken Blake a year to perfect his idea, but he did it because his sons helped him.

The youngsters advertised about the excellent deed their dad was trying to do, and countless people turned up to help Blake, including the boys' teachers, classmates, and school friends. All because one good act leads to another!

That's how Blake, the man who was moved by his neighbor's kindness and wanted to repay it, decided to set up a charity donation website and help the needy. The kindness was passed along, and Blake was glad he didn't let his handicap discourage him. In fact, his "never give up" attitude made him stronger, and his determination enabled him to help others.

"Kindness does wonder, boys," Blake told his sons when they made the first donation. "And you should never give up. Sometimes, you see a small ray of light and hope in the darkest situations, and it changes you and your lives forever!"

What can we learn from this story?

• Never, ever give up. There is always hope in life. Moved by the kindness of his neighbors, Blake gained the confidence to do something to improve his and other people's lives, and he opened a concept store through which good deeds could spread.
• If someone has been kind to you, return the favor by being kind to someone else in need. Blake returned the kindness he received from his neighbors by assisting the needy and making donations.

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 never forgot the kindness his classmates showed him by sharing their lunch with him in school and how he resolved to find them when he grew up.

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.