81-yr-old veteran had to work Walmart shifts to afford bills after wife’s 4 heart attacks—until a shopper decided to change his life
Working to make ends meet can be distressful for an elderly person. But many might have to work full-time shifts during financial difficulties and medical crises. An 81-year-old Vietnam War veteran was forced to do the same after his savings were depleted while trying to get his wife treated during her four heart attacks. The man was working at Walmart when a customer noticed him and decided to learn what he was going through. That moment changed the man, Thomas Bradshaw's, fate, per his GoFundMe page.
The customer, Sandra Emerseon, called Bradshaw the "Best Receipt Checker at our local Yorktown, VA Walmart!" She shared that the man was 81 years old and had spent all of his savings as he tried to take care of his wife after her four heart attacks. "Now a retired veteran, he is working 8-hour shifts with a cane to make ends meet! No one at 81 years old should have to be doing this!" Emerson continued. "He is so sweet and everyone loves him. Let's please raise some money to make his life easier." Initially, Emerson had expected to raise $1000 for the man, per Sunny Skyz. But the fundraiser managed to meet that goal in less than 24 hours.
In two days, the page had raised over $17000 and the woman was impressed with the support she received from her community. "He just really touched my heart. I was only thinking we would raise like $1,000 and that would be great…but look how the community has come together," Emerson told the outlet. The donation amount stood at $18,841 at the time of writing, out of its $24,000 goal. A grateful Emerson expressed, "Here is Mr. Thomas when I showed him what everyone has done for him! He was amazed at the outpouring of love for him." She added, "I can't thank everyone enough. He said this was going to bless his life in ways we can't imagine. Thank you, everyone and let's keep it going!"
According to a 2024 report from the National Council on Aging, 80 percent of adults above the age of 60 face financial insecurity. The elderly have few resources to pay for their care or to deal with financial emergencies. "This is a snowballing crisis. At the same time that 11,000 people are turning 65 every day for the next several years, a growing number of older adults are facing financial stress now and will not be able to afford the care they will need in the future," Ramsey Alvin, NCOA President and CEO, remarked. Their incomes and the net value of their houses increased a little during 2018-2020, but the financial assets and total wealth of the elderly saw a dip.
An 81-year-old waitress was in a similar condition and couldn't afford to retire, according to another story. The woman, Betty, was waiting tables as she didn't have enough to retire and rest, per The Independent. She caught a mom, Tamie Konzier's, attention and the woman decided to help Betty out of her plight. Konzier saw that the old woman couldn't walk properly and overheard her telling someone that she made $910 a month, which was not enough to cover the bills. The mom gave Betty a $40 tip and decided to share her story online to get help for her. She ended up raising $327,148 for Betty's retirement.
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