Wilma is an elderly woman battling cancer. Darrien, her daughter, works full time at the local hospital and visits Wilma wherever she can. Wilma would normally be spending many hours alone at home if it weren’t for the sweet little boy next door and members in her community.
Darrien would love to take care of her mother more, but she explains, “She refuses to move in with me because she loves her independence and her home.”
There are difficulties with managing everything for Wilma her daughter shares, “I work full time in the emergency department in our hometown on night shift,” Darrien states. “That alone keeps my schedule very limited, along with being a full-time student. We don’t have much family here, so getting Nana back and forth to treatment every day and being able to check on her frequently (or as much as I would like) has been difficult for me to do.”
People have also made comments about the neighborhood Wilma lives in, describing it negatively. Despite what the town looks like on the outside, there is a lot of love within it. The people on her street are like family to Wilma.
“They check on her multiple times throughout the day and have even helped me get her to chemotherapy and radiation appointments. They are honestly what keeps Nana going. I can’t go over to her home without someone at some point yelling ‘Hey Ms. Wilma, How ya doing?’ She knows everyone by name and they know and love her just as much as I do,” Says Darrien.
One of those special residents is little Caleb who is 7 years old. He makes between 4 and 5 visits every day to Wilma. Like most dear friends, they chat for hours on the front patio, he brings over goodies, and they share lots of laughs. Darrien shared in a social media post a precious picture of the two talking away. The attached message read “This kid comes and visits my grandmother everyday…4-5 times a day. He just told me it was to check on her, to make sure she wakes up from all her naps…my heart can’t take this.”
Darrien is so touched by the young man’s actions. What a special blessing he is to both Wilma and Darrien. “I am so thankful for him and the love he has shown my grandmother. I know for certain it has helped her on her hardest days. He will never know how much I truly appreciate him. I hope one day he realizes the impact he has left on her life and mine as well.”
This story shares the powerful impact of loving your neighbor. So sweet!
