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THE
TIRE SHOP
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It's easy to look
at the news and become down when thinking about how humanity treats one another. But it's just as important to remember that genuine kindness is still alive and can be found in the most unexpected places.
That's what happened to 92-year-old Mary Summers, of Richmond, Texas. After one of her tires picked up a nail and needed replacing, Summers took her car in for repair at Integrity Tire.
However, after inspection, employee Omar Oregueda had some bad news for Summers — the tire that hit the nail needed replacing, while all of the other three tires were also shot, having been worn down over time and were now unsafe. The total repair for all four tires would be $600.
After Oregueda broke the news to Summers — a moment that was captured on a security camera at Integrity Tire — the elderly woman told him that she couldn't afford to pay for all four and inquired how much just one tire would cost instead.
But unbeknownst to Summers, she had a guardian angel there that day. As can be seen on the security footage, a state trooper by the name of Drew Stoner was seated just behind her as he awaited an oil change. When he overheard what Summers had told Oregueda, he got up and approached the front counter before leaving the shop.
Right after that, Oregueda went back to Summers and updated her that she'd be able to leave the shop that day with four new tires. Naturally, Summers was completely shocked.
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Summers told news outlet
KHOU:
“He said, ‘They’re paid for and everything.’ And I said, ‘Who paid for it?’ And he said, ‘The trooper that was in here.'”
Taken aback at how a stranger could do something so nice for someone they don't know, Summers said:
“I can hardly talk about it now because I want to cry because he did that. And he did it, and he left.”
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Wishing to thank the trooper, the news station tracked him down, and although Trooper Stoner didn't want any attention he was happy to meet with Summers. Explaining what went on in his mind when he overheard the conversation that day, Trooper Stoner told the news station:
“I’m thinking, ‘What if she goes out on the road and a tire goes out on her [or] kind of falls apart on her, and she’s on the side of the road?’”
When Summers and Trooper Stoner did meet, it was incredibly sweet. Instantly hugging him, Summers said:
“I’m just so thankful for you, and I’m so proud. I’m proud to meet someone that has a heart that big. I just love you to death.”
Meanwhile, Trooper Stoner's selfless act inspired another act of kindness — Oregueda decided to give Summers a free oil change as well. He told
KHOU:
“For a stranger to take care of another stranger like that — let’s all just take care of each other. That’s what it’s about.”
What an incredibly heartwarming story that not only showed the goodness that still exists out there but how one good deed can inspire others to do good as well.
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