Awesome - FedEx Driver Spots Concerning Sight In Boy's Yard, Then Makes Unexpected Move
As a delivery driver, it’s Aubrey Robinson’s job to move quickly and efficiently, all while putting the customer first. The pandemic made achieving this last goal no small feat since it has made actual driver-to-customer interactions rare. One day, however, something caught Robinson’s eye during a routine delivery to a family’s home: an 11-year-old in desperate need of assistance. Robinson knew she had to get creative if she wanted to make a difference.
Elijah and Coledo
In the early hours of the morning, Coledo Wheeler woke up to a familiar sound: a basketball bouncing in her driveway. She wasn’t surprised when she looked out her window and saw her 11-year-old son, Elijah Maines, shooting hoops in his pajamas. There were no signs this wouldn't be an ordinary day.
Observant FedEx Driver
In fact, most people knew that Elijah’s favorite place was around the old, rusty basketball hoop in his driveway. Even the family’s local FedEx driver, Aubrey Robinson, was used to seeing the boy with a basketball in his arms. But over time, Robinson started to notice something.
Hatching a Plan
Though Elijah’s basketball skills improved each day, the basketball hoop he used did not. Each time Robinson made a delivery, the rusted and bent hoop looked even worse. With that, Robinson hatched a plan.
An Act of Kindness
Little did Robinson know her act of kindness — one some people would see as small — made a world of difference to Elijah and his mother. 2020 was a rough year for everyone, but their family had been hit particularly hard, and in ways Robinson wasn’t even aware of.
Stressful Year
The family had lost four relatives, Coledo’s boyfriend was laid up with serious injuries, and her own car had been totaled, all in one year. Add in the stress of the pandemic and schooling from home, and you get one family in serious need of cheering up. Thankfully, Robinson was happy to oblige.
The Perfect Basketball Hoop
Soon enough, Robinson vowed, Elijah would have the hoop of his dreams. “It was crazy to me how happy he was with the bent-up, broken hoop,” she told CNN. “Every time I saw him he was so joyful playing basketball. Seeing him so happy stuck with me.” So, she went out in search of the perfect basketball hoop.
Similar Childhoods
In fact, Robinson knew all too well how important sports can be in a kid’s life. “When I heard he had a rough year but he was playing basketball so happily, I wasn’t so shocked because I’ve been there,” she said. According to Robinson, her childhood wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Inspiration From The Past
“I was bullied for years in school,” she revealed. “So basketball was really an oasis.” Her idea to give Elijah a brand-new hoop was actually inspired by a good deed from her own childhood days, when a friendly neighbor did something similar for her.
Basketball Meant Everything
“I had a neighbor install a basketball hoop for me across the street because he knew how much I loved it,” she remembered. “I would go down there for hours and just be shooting hoops.” She had no clue just how much the sport meant to Elijah, though.
Brand New Hoop
Robinson was by no means a millionaire, but that didn’t stop her from going out and buying Elijah the basketball hoop he deserved. With a gleaming white net, nearly-indestructible backboard, and an adjustable stand, all the hoop needed was someone to use it — someone like Elijah.
Anonymous
On the day she had the brand new hoop installed, Robinson left a short note for Coledo. “Just wanted you and your son to have the best hoop that’ll grow with him and all his friends,” she wrote. Instead of signing her name on the note, she simply signed it from “one of the FedEx drivers in the area.”
Just One Problem
However, her efforts to give the gift anonymously didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. “I read the note, and the moment I realized who it was from, I just immediately started to cry,” Coledo told CNN. She wanted to thank Robinson in person, but there was just one problem.
Nowhere To Be Found
Robinson was nowhere to be found. As the holiday season geared up, Robinson’s delivery schedule got more hectic, and she wasn’t able to return to Coledo and Elijah’s neighborhood for weeks. Still, she could imagine Elijah’s reaction to seeing the new hoop...
.v1-375w.jpg)
"Teary-Eyed"
Robinson wasn’t there to see it, but when Elijah got home from school and saw the new hoop, his immediate reaction said it all. “He got teary-eyed but he’s an 11-year-old boy so he really didn’t want to admit he was crying,” Coledo recalled. Elijah himself couldn’t help feeling stunned by the kindness.
Gratitude
“When I saw [Robinson] got me a new hoop, I was shocked, just totally shocked,” he said. “It was crazy she randomly did it for me when she could have done it to anyone else.” Of course, Elijah’s shock quickly turned to gratitude, and he wanted Robinson to know just how grateful he was.
Hugs All Around
A few weeks after the surprise, Robinson finally found herself doing deliveries in the family’s neighborhood. When she knocked on their door, she was greeted with a huge hug from Coledo. “Elijah saw her and ran to her and hugged her too,” Coledo told CNN. Elijah even had a surprise of his own for Robinson.
Unexpected Impact
Elijah gave her a handmade thank-you card to show how thankful he was for her kindness. Coledo told Robinson all about her family’s difficult year, and about how Robinson’s small gesture made a bigger impact on the family than she ever could’ve imagined.
Breaking It In
“We’re so humbled and grateful she would do this for us,” Coledo said. “This has been a huge, huge thing for our family.” After having the same dented basketball hoop for nine years, Elijah was dying to take the new one for a spin — with Robinson’s help, of course.
Fast Friends
Elijah, Robinson, and Elijah’s 9-year-old brother played basketball together for almost an hour, each of them in their element. “I really bonded with the boys,” Robinson said. No doubt remembering her own childhood, Robinson realized that the hoop meant more to her than she originally thought.
Aucun commentaire: