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Newborn Cries Every Time He’s in Old Stroller until Grandma Finds Hidden Layer under Its Seat – Story of the Day

Roshanak Hannani
Apr 01, 2022
11:20 P.M.
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Rachel had to take care of her grandson when her daughter died in childbirth. One day, she noticed he would cry every time he was in the stroller. After investigating, she discovered a hidden layer in the stroller with something shocking inside, prompting her to make a decision.

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Rachel placed her grandson, Matthew, in the stroller she bought for him, and once again, the baby started crying like something was wrong. But the 78-year-old woman had no idea what was happening and was getting tired of the screams.

A few months ago, her daughter, Rosalie, died in childbirth. Like Rachel, Rosalie got pregnant at a somewhat old age, and the older woman thought everything would be alright because she was. But complications led to a tricky surgery, and eventually, Rosalie lost her battle.

Rachel bought a stroller at the flea market. | Source: Shutterstock

Rachel bought a stroller at the flea market. | Source: Shutterstock

Rachel had to pay an excessive amount of money on medical bills after Rosalie's death and she had barely anything left to take care of the baby. The hospital offered to keep him and get him adopted, but Rachel couldn't do it. She couldn't leave her grandson to the mercy of others.

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She used some money to buy an old stroller at a flea market and other necessities for the baby. The child should've been comfortable sleeping in the stroller, but he cried often. He only slept in her bed now, and Rachel was too old and tired to keep this up.

She grabbed the baby once more and placed him on her couch, surrounding him with throw pillows so he wouldn't roll over. Luckily, the baby was tired, too, and fell asleep quickly.

"There's something wrong with that stroller, then," Rachel said to herself while watching her grandson.

She found something surprising inside the stroller. | Source: Pexels

She found something surprising inside the stroller. | Source: Pexels

She placed her hands on her waist and approached the stroller. It was an old model — the kind used when Rosalie was a baby — but it worked perfectly. It was sturdy, and after touching the inner part, she noticed how tough it was. Her hand might have pressed too hard because something popped unexpectedly.

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It was a false bottom. There was a hidden compartment beneath the seat. Could it be for storing stuff? There's clearly something here, Rachel thought and used her hands to find a loose end and opened it. "Oh, dear," she whispered aloud after pulling up the bottom flap. There were newspapers inside and what looked like a rigid box.

She took it out and opened it, discovering several jewels inside — necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc. "Jesus," she breathed now. This was her opportunity. She could sell these baubles and possibly get enough money to raise Matthew. She wouldn't have to worry about money.

Rachel returned to the flea market. | Source: Pexels

Rachel returned to the flea market. | Source: Pexels

But it was wrong. These jewels weren't hers. They belonged to the kind lady who sold her this stroller at the flea market. She had to return them. So she put the stroller back as it was, except she added more blankets and a tiny pillow. Matthew was utterly calm now that the rigid box had been removed.

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She pushed the stroller back to the flea market in Brooklyn and searched for the woman in question. "Miss! Miss!" she exclaimed after finding her.

"Oh, ma'am! You're back, and I see you're using the stroller. It belonged to my grandma, and she always loved it. But we have more modern ones now," the woman said.

"Actually, my grandson cried and cried all the time when he was in it, but that's when I discovered something. Here, this must be yours," Rachel said, taking out the box and handing it to the woman.

Marina offered to pay her something for the favor. | Source: Pexels

Marina offered to pay her something for the favor. | Source: Pexels

Her eyes widened. "Oh! Oh! Ma'am! Thank you! Thank you! I don't know what to say! These jewels belonged to my great-grandmother. Her husband gave them to her before going off to the war. She hid them in old age, and no one knew where to find them," the woman said gratefully.

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"Well, I'm glad I could return them," Rachel said, nodding. She made to push the stroller to leave, but the woman stopped her.

"Wait. I'm Marina. Let me pay you for this. Anyone else would've sold them for the money," the woman offered, a hand on Rachel's shoulder.

"No, no. It was the right thing to do."

"Please. My brother, Ben, is going to be so grateful, too. Because we searched great-grandma's house for ages, and nothing. Please, let us help you with something," Marina insisted.

They came over with gifts for Rachel and Matthew. | Source: Pexels

They came over with gifts for Rachel and Matthew. | Source: Pexels

"Alright. This is my address. If you ever have something you want to give away, I'll take it, and you can come to my house for some coffee and cookies. The company will do me well. How does that sound?" Rachel replied with a smile, knowing that Marina was probably going to forget but she wrote down her address on a piece of paper anyway.

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"Of course!" Marina said excitedly.

Rachel left and forgot all about it. Matthew was sleeping peacefully now on the stroller, and things seemed to be settling. But a few days later, Marina showed up at her door with Ben in tow. He had unloaded some things from a pick-up truck.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked, shocked.

"We're here with a few surprises. Ben's kid has outgrown some items, and we think your grandson could use them," Marina revealed with a huge smile.

Ben became Matthew's new father. | Source: Pexels

Ben became Matthew's new father. | Source: Pexels

They brought a crib, a walker, toys, and tons of clothes for Matthew. They also sat down for coffee, cookies, and conversation. It was the most pleasant day the older woman had had.

Afterward, Marina came by often, babysat Matthew whenever possible, and treated Rachel like her own mother. Ben came by every once in a while to fix things around her house and played with Matthew as the kid grew up.

They were such close friends that Ben offered to become the baby's father when Rachel got too sick, and the older woman couldn't have been more grateful. She died four years later, and Ben adored his new son.

What can we learn from this story?

  • Do the right thing always. Rachel could've sold the jewelry and kept the money, but she did the right thing and gained something better.
  • Help others whenever you can. Marina and Ben were not indebted to Rachel because the jewelry belonged to them. But they still felt the need to help her and became like a family.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who visited her grandparents only to discover that their house was demolished.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.

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