Over $340,000 has been raised for a 90-year-old Air Force veteran who had fallen on some tough times.
It all started when Jenelle Marie, a TikToker from New Hampshire, bumped into a man who was identified only as Donald at a Gold and Pawn shop in Manchester.
The pair started chatting and soon Jenelle discovered that the 90-year-old was trying to sell some jewelry so he could pay his rent, so that he and his wife, who suffers from dementia, would not be evicted from their home.
In a video that was posted to TikTok, the influencer filmed the veteran before she surprised him with an envelope filled with $1,300 from contributions between herself, her fiancé, and 25 other kind strangers who wanted to help him out.
After he's handed the cash, Donald says: "When I can afford it, one of these days I'm going to call you and ask you to lunch."
"I appreciate that, but we're just happy to do it," Jenelle replies. "[The money] is from me, my fiance, and like 25 people."
"I'm so excited... this is fabulous," Donald can be heard saying.
However, Janelle didn't just stop there.
She created a GoFundMe account on behalf of her "elderly friend" in the hopes that some more kind strangers would opt to help him out.
"I have an elderly friend named Donald who is 90 years old (91 in August!). He is also a disabled veteran (Airforce) who is taking care of his wife who just got diagnosed with dementia. They never had kids and they don't have any family left," she said, giving some context to her request.
"He is the sweetest old man you could ever meet and loves his wife dearly," she continued. "He takes care of her around the clock and his landlord is raising their rent and he is falling behind terribly with all of his bills."
Janelle then revealed that the 90-year-old was "deathly afraid he's going to be displaced and that they are going to make his wife go to a home."
"I'm currently looking to find him a new place to rent that is within his budget, but I was hoping I could fundraise some money to lessen his load of financial stress," she added.
And let's just say, the internet really managed to come through.
So far, the fundraiser has managed to secure just under $342,400, and Janelle has confirmed that Donald has received the money but has refrained from uploading it to the internet to respect his wishes.
Have you heard of a story more wholesome?
Let's hope this money manages to give Donald and his wife a better quality of life during these difficult times.
.jpg_hJdIcz?tr=h-40)
.jpg_hJdIcz?tr=h-184)
