With no family to care for him or a place to call home, little John Thuo lived on the streets in Nairobi, Kenya.
Here, he was left to fend for himself. In order to get the necessities he needed, John would ask others for money. Doing so couldn’t have been easy, but he managed to get by alright. Then, a single encounter changed his life forever.
One day, while John was asking for money from the drivers of cars stopped in traffic, he met a woman named Gladys Kamande. She had collapsed lungs that gave her shortness of breath, and she constantly relied on an oxygen concentrator, oxygen cylinders, and a generator to breathe.
Not only that, but the 32 year old has gone through 12 surgeries; one surgery ruptured her optical nerve causing her to go blind.
Being a curious little boy, John asked what all of her gadgets were for. As she explained her situation to him, his eyes welled with tears.
Even though she wasn’t living on the street, she had her own struggles, and it moved this sweet child to tears. Then, despite not having the resources to help himself, John found his own way to help.
John took Gladys’ hand and prayed that God would provide her all she needed for treatment. After that, he reached into his pocket and gave her what little money he had.
A passerby, Njogu Wa Njoroge, was struck by the little boys overwhelming emotion. After stopping to learn what had happened, he shared stories and photos of the heartwarming moment on social media.
“I asked him why he decided to give the only money he had in his pocket,” Njogu said. “He told me he opted to give because even if he suffered the same, others would support him.”
John had no idea just how right he was! Soon, his story spread across social media, and generous strangers from all around the world began donating money in an effort to help. In fact, enough was raised to cover the treatment Gladys needed in India.
But that’s not where the good news ends.
This simple interaction helped John get into a children’s home where he was able to go back to school. He said he was happy to attend… so long as he didn’t have to go far away from Gladys.
Finally, to top it all off, this sweet boy was adopted, giving him both a home and a family.
We’re so glad that John and Gladys were able to get the help they needed, and we love that the bond they formed that fateful day continues on. It just goes to show that a little compassion can go a long way!
Don’t forget to share their moving story with a friend.