Boy Gives Hot Broth to Old Lady Selling Flowers, Gets $350K from Her for Mom’s Treatment Days Later — Story of the Day

A young boy feels pity for an old woman selling flowers on the side of the road in the cold and treats her to a hot broth. Days later, he gets an unexpected reward for his kindness.

Evan Young was just 12 years old when he was forced to become the man of the house. Following his father's unexpected death, he strived to support his mother, who was confined to a wheelchair after a terrible car crash.

Thankfully, Brandon Young had left a substantial sum in his savings account, which didn't impose a financial crunch on Gigi Young and her son immediately. It only happened when Gigi was rushed to the hospital one day after experiencing severe pain in her legs, and doctors informed them she needed surgery as soon as possible so she could walk again.

Evan met an older woman on his way to the hospital one day. | Source: Shutterstock

However, Gigi decided not to dilute the only savings they had, and she requested the doctors for an immediate discharge. They advised her otherwise, but her answer didn't change. She finally convinced them and they agreed to release her in a week.

Evan visited Gigi every day at the hospital. One day, while he was on his way, he observed a fragile old woman selling flowers on the street. She was holding a bouquet of daisies, anxiously searching for something in a newspaper, and wearing a purple scarf around her head that was somewhat lighter in color than her ragged purple overcoat.

Evan decided to get some flowers for Gigi and approached her. "Hello. Can I get a bouquet of these?" he asked, pointing to the flowers she was holding.

"Oh, yes, yes," the old lady replied, lifting her head, her hands trembling in the cold as she handed Evan a bouquet of five white daisies. "Here. That would be $5."

Evan handed her the cash and stood there for a few moments. "Actually, you can have this," he said, offering her the broth he was carrying for Gigi. "It's cold out here, and I guess you need this more. It's chicken broth. My mom's secret recipe. It won't taste as good as Mom's because I made it, but it's not too bad."

Evan offered the chicken broth he'd made for Gigi to the older woman. | Source: Pexels

"Oh," the old lady laughed, teary-eyed while accepting it. "God bless you, sweetheart. You are extremely thoughtful. What's your name?"

"I'm Evan," the young boy shrugged. "It's okay. You don't need to thank me. Mom says it's super cool to help others. Not everyone can do that."

The old lady grinned. "Your mother raised you well, Evan. I, too, have a son, but he lives in another town. His wife gave birth to twins recently, but I haven't even seen my grandchildren. I sell flowers every day so that I can save up for a ticket to visit them. Oh, how I wish I could see them."

"Well, you're lucky that you can travel easily whenever you want. My mom is in a wheelchair, and it's pretty troublesome everywhere we go. Doctors say she needs surgery, but mom refused because she doesn't want to spend our remaining savings on herself."

"Oh, dear. That's terrible," the old woman replied. "I hope your mother gets well soon, Evan. I will pray for her."

Evan bought a bouquet of daisies from the older woman. | Source: Pexels

"Thanks! By the way, I have one more thing for you," he said, pulling out several crumpled dollar bills and coins from his pocket and handing it to her. "They are $100 in total. I saved this from my pocket money over several months for my PlayStation, but I hope it helps you. You can go see your son."

"Oh, no, no! I can't take this from you, sweetheart," the old woman said hesitantly. But Evan insisted.

"It's cool. I can get a PlayStation any other time."

"I feel horrible for taking it. Please. I'm not going to be able to take this, boy."

"Well, then," Evan paused for a moment. "How about I buy 20 more bouquets from you? Honestly, I'm not very good at math, but I guess that would be $100."

The old lady's tears knew no bounds this time. "Oh god," she cried. "How will I ever thank you? You're such a sweet boy. Thank you – Thank you so much!" she said and quickly prepared the bouquets for him. "I'm Bethany Jones, by the way. This old woman will forever be grateful to you, Evan. Thank you!"

"I'll see you around, Mrs. Jones! Goodbye!" Evan said as he hurried away to the hospital.

Mrs. Jones cried tears of joy due to Evan's kindness. | Source: Pexels

Once there, he told Gigi about his encounter with Mrs. Jones and how she'd been yearning to see his son. Gigi was incredibly proud of Evan and how he helped the older woman by offering her the $100 he'd saved up. She asked him to thank her for the flowers the next time he sees her.

But the next day, on his way to the hospital, Evan didn't see Mrs. Jones where he'd first met her. This carried on for days, and Evan began to worry if he'd ever see her again. Then one day, he saw her as he was crossing the street. She was back there, selling her flowers. He ran up to her.

"Mrs. Jones! I thought I'd never see you again!" he cried.

"Evan!" Mrs. Jones smiled. "How are you doing? Is your mom feeling better now?"

"We are good, Mrs. Jones! Did you pay a visit to your son?"

"Yes," she replied cheerfully. "Thanks to you, I did. And I've brought you a small gift. My son asked me to give it to you after hearing how much you helped me."

Mrs. Jones handed Evan an envelope.

Evan cracked a grin. "A letter for me?"

"It's not just a letter," she whispered. "There's something special inside."

Mrs. Jones brought back an envelope for Evan. | Source: Pexels

Evan opened the envelope and found a letter addressed to him.

"Dear Evan,

Thank you for becoming a son to my mother while I was away. You are so young but an inspiration for everyone out there, especially for reckless sons like me who forget to look after their parents and start paying more attention to other things.

It was entirely my fault that I did not visit my mother for a year. I'm a businessman, and I'd been so consumed with my own life that I'd completely forgotten about her. Thank you for reminding me of this and assisting me in becoming a better son. My mother was delighted to be home and meet my children. I'll never forget the joy you brought her. There's a present inside the envelope for you. I hope it will help you and your mother. I was told she needs surgery. I hope this helps.

With love,

Lewis Jones."

Evan reached into the envelope and took out a slip of paper. When he turned it over, he saw it was a check for $350,000 for his mother's surgery. Evan's eyes widened as he looked at it. "Mrs. Jones, that's a lot of money! I am not sure if I can accept this."

Evan received $350,000 for Gigi's treatment. | Source: Pexels

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Mrs. Jones smiled. "You've earned it, Evan. You helped a stranger like me without a second thought. Listen, I know it wouldn't have been easy for a teen like you to give up the PlayStation for me. So please, I insist."

Evan wasn't sure if accepting it was the correct thing to do, but he did it anyway. When he went to meet Gigi, he told her the entire story, and she was quite thankful to Mrs. Jones and her son for their assistance.

She paid for her surgery with that money, and when she was discharged from the hospital, the first thing she did was go see Mrs. Jones. Since then, they've grown close, and not only Gigi and Evan, but even Lewis, pay frequent visits to Mrs. Jones now.

In a way, Mrs. Jones is delighted to have so many visitors at once, compared to the olden times when she was alone. But more than that, she's elated that she is a grandmother to 3 children now. (Lewis' twins and Evan -- who affectionately refers to her as Grandma Jones.) She still sells her flowers, though, as she believes they helped her reconnect with her son.

What can we learn from this story?

• Kindness is a contagious disease. Evan helped Mrs. Jones, and in return, Lewis helped Gigi financially by paying for her treatment.
• Always treat your parents with love and kindness. Lewis realized he shouldn't have neglected Mrs. Jones and made things right with her.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who discovers a chest while digging in her backyard but opens it only 3 years later.

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.