Poor Boy Pays for Old Lady’s Groceries, His Granny Gets $230k to Pay for Treatment Days Later

Mary realized she forgot her wallet while trying to pay for groceries. A kind boy named Mark offered to pay for her items. Later, Mary and her daughter found out that Mark’s grandmother needed expensive surgery, so they decided to help, surprising him.

“Oh no, I must’ve left my wallet in John’s car. I’m so sorry, but I’ll have to leave these for now,” Mary said, apologizing as the cashier started to put her groceries back. She was about to walk away when a young boy in line spoke.

“Wait, ma’am. You don’t have many things. I can pay for them,” the boy offered. He looked about 12 years old and didn’t seem wealthy.

“Oh, I can’t let you do that,” Mary replied.

“Please, ma’am. My grandma always says good deeds come back to us. Karma, you know?” Mark said, paying for her few items along with his.

Mary had driven from San Diego to Santa Ana to help her daughter, Anastacia, who had the flu. Her wallet was in her friend John’s car. Thanks to Mark’s help, she didn’t need to return to the store. As they left, Mary started talking. “Hey, I’m Mary. What’s your name?”

“I’m Mark,” the boy answered.

“Thank you, Mark. You saved me from making another trip. Can I get your number to pay you back later?” Mary asked, and Mark wrote it down on a receipt.

“Sure, but no rush. I live nearby,” Mark said casually.

“I believe in paying people back, even if we also pay it forward,” Mary said with a smile before leaving.

When Mary got home, she told Anastacia about the incident. “It was refreshing to see a young person being so nice,” Mary said, putting away the groceries.

“I agree. Kids today can be thoughtful, though some only think of themselves,” Anastacia added.

“I don’t think Mark has much money. I feel bad in case he needed it for something important,” Mary said. Luckily, John agreed to bring her wallet the next day so she could pay Mark back.

The next day, Mary and Anastacia went to the address Mark gave them. The house was small but neat, with a nice garden. Mark opened the door.

“Hi, Mrs. Cummings,” he said, smiling.

“Hi, Mark! This is my daughter, Anastacia. Here’s your money, and thank you again,” Mary said warmly.

“You didn’t have to hurry,” Mark said, glancing back into the house. “I’d invite you in, but my grandma doesn’t like visitors when she’s out.”

“Where is she?” Anastacia asked. “Maybe we can meet her later. Does she like pecan pie? We’re going to the bakery.”

“She’s in the hospital, and won’t be back for a while,” Mark said sadly. Noticing their concern, he continued, “She needs surgery. I’ve started a GoFundMe, but it’s slow. The hospital’s keeping her for now while I try to raise the money.”

“Oh, honey. You shouldn’t have to do that alone,” Anastacia said, concerned.

“It’s just the two of us,” Mark explained with a shrug. Mary and Anastacia exchanged a glance, silently deciding what to do.

“Give me the link to the GoFundMe and your grandma’s name. Also, come to the bakery with us. We’ll visit her and maybe bring her some pie,” Mary said, suggesting more than just pie.

“Are you sure? You don’t need to,” Mark hesitated.

“We want to,” Anastacia insisted, and Mark agreed to join them.

They bought pies and visited Mark’s grandmother, Mrs. Julie Strada, in the hospital. After a nice chat, they left Mark with her. At home, Anastacia shared the GoFundMe link and donated some money. But Mary was still uneasy. “They need so much for the surgery. I’m not sure just sharing the link will help enough,” she said.

“Let’s think,” Anastacia said, looking at her computer. “How about we share what Mark did for you? He didn’t know you would pay him back, and they really need the money. Maybe it could go viral? Let’s try Reddit.”

“That seems like a long shot,” Mary said, unsure.

“We’ll see,” Anastacia replied, smiling as she typed out the story for Reddit and Twitter.

At first, there were only a few comments, but within days, thousands of people saw the post and donated. The $230,000 goal for Mrs. Strada’s surgery still felt far away. But then a news outlet picked up the story, interviewed Mary and Mark, and spread the word. Soon, the GoFundMe surpassed its target, leaving Mark amazed. His small act of kindness had sparked a wave of generosity he never expected.