Tiny Florida Widow Loses Her House at 99 – Kind Stranger Gives Her $10,000 to Rebuild

An older lady had already been through a series of unlikely incidents when Hurricane Ian ambushed her, destroying everything she had once called her own. Despite everything, she didn't lose hope; fortunately, a kind stranger heard her story and gave her a lovely surprise.

Thelma Gulden, from Sarasota, Florida, is not your average elderly lady. Throughout her life, she had undergone more than her fair share of struggles, but she always remained strong and never once wavered in the face of adversity.

The last few years had been anything but easy for her. In 2020, she had to bid farewell to the love of her life—her husband of 62 years. She was still reeling from the irreparable loss when she contracted COVID-19, not once but twice, and had to be hospitalized.

A True Warrior

With the global pandemic unleashing its full fury on the world, Thelma was also severely impacted, but despite her old age, she recovered.

Less than six weeks later, she suffered a stroke and had to undergo open heart surgery. Not only did she survive that health scare, but she also became the oldest patient at Sarasota Memorial Hospital to receive the treatment.

Upon receiving the heartwarming surprise, Thelma was reduced to tears and had difficulty controlling her emotions.

Like a true fighter and survivor, Thelma continued to defy the odds and emerged as a resilient force in the light of the most unlikely and unexpected circumstances.

Her Many Adventures & Plans for the Next Birthday

Thelma thought the worst was behind her, and she happily moved back into her mobile home in Oakwood Manor, where she had lived for nearly three decades. Coupled with the bad, she had also witnessed moments of pure bliss, such as riding an elephant when she turned 98 and a helicopter at 99.

For her 100th birthday in June 2023, she made plans for a grand celebration and has already made reservations for the venue, caterer, and musicians for the party. She also wishes to meet Tom Selleck as a centenarian and have an unforgettable birthday.

Because of her youthful spirit and amiable nature, the Oakwood Manor community loved Thelma. Often, she was seen playing bingo, cards, or enjoying the golf cart parades with her friends and neighbors. Many regarded her as a living legend and praised her for her generosity.

She Lost Everything

But when Hurricane Ian slammed Southwest Florida in late September 2022, Thelma and countless other Floridians took the brunt of the raging storm. Within minutes, the cheerful and adventurous senior citizen lost everything, including her home, furniture, food, clothing, and other personal belongings.

Her beloved home of 32 years turned to rubble before her eyes and was not livable anymore. While looking back on what she had endured, the Florida widow with no kids of her own expressed, "It's awful. I can't explain the feeling you have. Until it hits you, you don't know."

What many people didn't know about Thelma was that she was a cadet nurse in WWII. Sadly, despite several years of service, she received no benefits and had no insurance. FEMA only gave her $700, and she was clueless about what to do and how to rebuild her home.

Garnering Support for Her Great-Aunt

In a plea to garner help for Thelma, her great-niece, Tracie Reuter, turned to social media and penned touching posts highlighting her great-aunt's life. According to Tracie, her aunt became a cadet nurse in 1943, when women didn't serve in the military. She added:

"Oh, and this lady who lives at the poverty level, she gives money to every veterans organization because she LOVES HER COUNTRY. I'm not kidding when I say her favorite color is red, white and blue."

In a subsequent post, Tracie shared a link to a GoFundMe account, asking people for donations so her great-aunt could rebuild her devastated house. "While there are SO MANY people here that still need help, I know there are organizations and people whose causes are elderly veterans," wrote Tracie.

As of January 11, 2023, the crowdfunding page received over $35,000 in donations. On October 1, 2022, Tracie shared a video update on YouTube where she and Thelma reflected on what they had lost as they stood next to the rubble of the mobile home in Oakwood Manor.

A Kind-Hearted Stranger's Heart-Melting Surprise

Tracie's pleas were answered when Charlie Rocket, a famous philanthropist, public speaker, and founder of the non-profit Dream Machine USA, heard Thelma's heartbreaking story. He visited her and was moved by her strength, resilience, and adventurous streak.

While her dream was to have her home back, Thelma told Charlie that she wished to go up in a hot-air balloon. Pleasantly astonished by her innocent desire, Charlie knew what he had to do to bring a smile to her face. Not only did he surprise the former cadet nurse with a hot-air balloon gift card, but he also gave her $10,000.

Upon receiving the heartwarming surprise, Thelma was reduced to tears and had difficulty controlling her emotions. Charlie recorded the moment he met the 99-year-old woman and shared the video on his social media, where it racked up thousands of views and comments.

The Online Response

A clip of Thelma's emotional reaction was also posted on Charlie's official TikTok account on October 10, 2022. As of January 11, the viral video has amassed 1.2 million views, more than 145k reactions, and over 500 comments:

"Our Veterans, especially our elder vets do not deserve to suffer like this 💔😭."

— (@meggsiemoo9) October 10, 2022

"Thank you Charlie for all that you do. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 for you and all the rest of the great people in this earth (sic).

— (@lifesjourneyis) October 12, 2022

"such tragedies. feel for our veterans and those who go through such devastation (sic)."

— (@555...000) October 28, 2022

"Bless you for being a light in someone else's life."

— (@bejaouiartz) October 12, 2022

"Good bless you and all you do for the community 🙏."

— (@laflakitakeila) October 14, 2022

We hope that Thelma can rebuild her house and enjoy her 100th birthday in style with her family and friends. Thank you, Charlie, for your benevolence and uplifting the kind elderly lady's low spirits. May you be abundantly rewarded for everything you do to improve people's lives.

Click here to read another story about a kind stranger who surprised a sobbing old farmer with $25,000 after he lost everything at the age of 79.