Seeing that a man was down on his luck, a compassionate woman invited him to live in her home until he could get back on his feet. However, she was awakened in the middle of the night to a horrifying sight that no grandmother wishes to see.
When a 66-year-old Texas woman saw Thomas Smith in need of a place to stay, the caring grandmother opened up her Houston home to the man, who she saw as a friend. What she didn’t know was that taking in the vulnerable man would change her and her grandchildren’s lives entirely.
For many Americans, charity reaps numerous benefits, namely tax write-offs and feelings of accomplishment. However, for a rare few, giving to someone in need can mean the difference between life and death, as the generous grandmother found out.
At around 1:30 in the morning, the Houston grandmother awoke to a terrifying reality. After hearing a loud boom, the elderly woman found herself jolted awake by a crashing blow, which left her unable to move in her bed. According to investigators, an electrical fire had broken out, causing her ceiling to slowly burn away and sending piles of heavy rubble crashing down upon her.
The woman was rendered completely helpless as the flames approached. She feared for her life and that of her two granddaughters. However, just as fast as she had become trapped under heaps of the dilapidated ceiling, the most unlikely hero rushed to her aide.
KPRC reports that as soon as Smith heard the calamity, he rushed into the woman’s bedroom, tore through the pile of rubble, and quickly carried her out the door to the front yard. Before the woman even had time to react, Smith had darted back into the blazing house to search for the woman’s granddaughters, ages 8 and 10, who were still sleeping, unaware of the imminent danger.
“I jumped out the bed and ran to her room, and something was on top of her — sheetrock and whatnot,” he said.
Seconds later, Smith bolted out of the house once again, this time carrying the little girls and placing them delicately on the lawn beside their grandmother. Incredibly, no one suffered any major injuries, Global News reports.
The grandmother, grandchildren, and Smith were all safely standing outside the burning residence when emergency first responders arrived. As firefighters fought to quench the flames, medical professionals inspected the residents to ensure that no one had suffered smoke inhalation or other injuries.
The Houston Fire Department later confirmed that the blaze appeared to have been started by an electrical outlet in the laundry room. Sadly, the home suffered extensive damage and the family lost nearly all possessions, including clothing, electronics, and keepsakes.
Despite their devastating loss, the grandmother and her grandchildren are alive and well. Of course, they can attribute their rescue to their underprivileged houseguest.
Although Smith likely had nothing to his name, there’s no amount of money in the world that could buy that kind of selfless courage. Miraculously, this grandmother’s simple kindness paid off in the best possible way.
Source: Tap Worthy Happenings
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