Photo via: CBS News
While on his way to the gym, 24-year-old Bilal Quintyne of Smyrna, Georgia, spotted 67-year-old Belinda Whitaker sitting in a wheelchair on the side of the road. Turns out, Whitaker’s motorized wheelchair had run out of power and she’d been stranded for about 45 minutes. What happened next is why Quintyne’s random act of kindness went on to touch the entire internet’s heart.
The amateur boxer decided to push Whitaker all the way home in 90 degree weather, telling Yahoo Lifestyle: “She asked if I could call for help and I said, ‘I’m in good shape. Where is your house? I’ll take you myself,’.”
Quintyne’s friend captured the priceless moment on video, and he later shared it on Facebook with the caption: “God’s Plan. God’s Work. Her battery gave out and she didn’t know how she was getting home. God blessed me with an able body. So WE pulled her home. A mile or not I wouldn’t go home until she was home. Period.”
Photo via: Gifted King/Facebook
After the 30-minute journey, Quintyne found out that Whitaker was headed to the grocery store when her electric wheelchair broke down.
“When I learned she was on her way to the grocery store, I offered to go food shopping for her, but she wouldn’t allow me,” Quintyne explained. “She was crying, very grateful, and said that many people had driven by without stopping to help.”
Whitaker was so shocked my Quintyne’s kind gesture that she forgot to get his name. Later, she ran into his friend who recorded the video and was able to get his contact information. The two have since reconnected, and Quintyne even went to church with Whitaker. According to CBS News, Quintyne was honored during service with a plaque.
“The pastor said, ‘That’s what it’s about, taking care of your community. Not just sitting there and talking about God, but going out and practicing what you preach.'”
Photo via: CBS NEWS
Quintyne took his act of kindness one step further when he started a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for a handicap accessible van to replace the one Whitaker lost recently in an accident.
“I stay in touch with her and I make sure she’s OK,” Quintyne told CBS News. “You can’t do wrong doing good, and that’s what it’s about.”