Share on FacebookIn 2014, Chris Wright, a Georgian man, was driving his family to church on a rainy day when he spotted a woman walking along the side of the road with a gas can. Knowing the nearest gas station was far away, he dropped his family off and returned to offer her a ride.
The woman, TunDe Hector, was in the middle of a tough time. She was going through a divorce, struggling financially, and only had $5 to her name. Her car had run out of gas, leaving her with no choice but to walk. Wright’s unexpected act of kindness didn’t end with the ride—he gave her $40, which moved her to tears.
“I felt like I was led to help her,” Wright later recalled.
A Connection Revisited
Three years later, Wright’s mother, Judy, was battling complications from Parkinson’s disease and needed at-home nursing care. One day, Wright’s parents mentioned a remarkable nursing aide who had cared for Judy, despite not being scheduled to work.
When Wright met the aide, he and Hector didn’t recognize each other at first. But when Hector shared her story about the kind stranger who had helped her years ago, Wright realized it was him. The two shared an emotional moment, marveling at how their lives had crossed paths again.
Paying It Forward
Hector cared for Judy with extraordinary compassion, often going above and beyond her duties. When Judy passed away in 2017, Hector left her own birthday celebration to be with the Wright family. Moved by her kindness, the family decided to support her dream of becoming an OBGYN nurse.
They started a fundraising campaign to help pay Hector’s overdue tuition and provide for her family. The goal of $1,000 was met in just 45 minutes, and within days, the total had grown to $34,000.
A Story of Inspiration
Hector’s story continued to inspire others. She appeared with the Wright family on Ellen DeGeneres’ show, where she was gifted $10,000 to further her education.
Hector later launched a podcast, Unusual Blessings, and published a book of the same name, sharing her journey and encouraging others to spread kindness.
“We don’t know why our two families were brought together,” Carmen Wright, Chris’s wife, said. “But now, she’s family.”
