Family was frozen with worry when autistic 6-year-old ran into traffic—a stranger saved her in time
No one can imagine the fear of a parent to see their child in the face of danger and be unable to help them. At that moment, all they want is some miracle to make things work out. Faith Roberts is mom to four children, all of whom have special needs, WBAY TV-2 reported. The family was packing to move and during the chaos, her six-year-old daughter, Honeretta, who has autism, somehow wandered away and ran out of the house. While she was running unattended straight into the face of danger, a stranger arrived right in time and managed to save her life. The family is indebted to this kindness from the man who happened to be at the right place at the right time.
The mom noted that because Honoretta has autism, she often likes to run around and wander. On that day, the mom was in the new home while the grandma, Tynetta Johnson, was watching the kids in the old house. In the process of moving, everything was busy and chaotic and the 6-year-old made a run for the door. “She elopes and she thinks it’s funny. It becomes a game of chase,” the mom said, per 7 News WWNYTV. The girl didn’t wait to think and was making a run for the road where there was danger surrounding her.
“In my mind, there’s water over here, there’s a bridge over here, there’s a busy street over here and as I’m running, she’s got a half block lead over me,” Johnson recalled. The grandma kept chasing her as fast as she could, screaming for help, hoping someone would arrive in time and avert the disaster. While the road was busy, only one homeless man, Weldon Tucker, went out of his way after noticing the girl and the grandma’s cry for help. He made his way across the street, stopped the traffic and got hold of the child. “He didn’t think about himself. He thought about her,” Johnson remarked.
The frantic mom recalled how no one came to her child’s rescue except Tucker, who clearly has a heart of gold. “My mom was screaming and everyone was looking at her like she was crazy but no one came to help,” she recalled. The girl was fortunately safe and the family was impressed with how selflessly the stranger stepped in. Roberts added, “He didn’t even think. Once he realized what my mom was saying, he took off running after her, ran into traffic, and just selflessly risked his life.” In hopes of thanking the man as best as possible, the family offered Tucker some cash, but he refused politely.
“He was just like, ‘Happy to help. Happy I was there,” the mom added. Despite her persistence, the man noted that it was an act of humanity. “I’m like, ‘Let me pay you, let me do something,’ and he was like, ‘No, I don’t want anything. I was just happy to help,'” she said. Tucker has left a profound message for the world. “I just do my best and I hope that in anybody’s situation like that somebody would do the same,” he said.