Woman got help from a stranger when her car ran out of fuel. Years later, she met him again and was stunned by his identity
Fate has the most mesmerizing ways of uniting people who have a purpose together in some way. Similarly, a familiar stranger is one of the most beautiful relationships a person can have, and Chris Wright and TunDe Hector had this special bond, per ABC News. Over a decade ago, Hector ran out of fuel en route and Wright’s unexpected kindness saved the day. A few years later, the duo reconnected in a heartwarming reunion to finally discover why fate had brought them across each other’s paths. Hector was stuck in the middle of the road when her car ran out of fuel. It was drizzling at the time, with no other option in hand, she took her gas can and went to find fuel.
Wright, a total stranger at the time, was passing with his family in the car, on his way to church. He spotted Hector and felt the need to help her. "I said, 'Hey, are you okay? Do you need help?'" he recalled. When she explained her situation, he didn’t hesitate to offer her a ride to the gas station. "I was being tugged on the inside again and felt the Lord say, 'Whatever you have in your pocket, just give it to her. She needs that,'" Wright recounted. Being “led” to act at the time, he offered the $40 he had on him to Hector. Their journey together ended, and the duo didn’t think they’d ever see each other again.
Three years later, Wright’s mother, Judy, was suffering from complications due to Parkinson’s. When she was discharged, she needed a nurse’s assistance at home. The mom felt exceptionally comfortable with one nurse. "My dad called and said, 'Hey, I got a lady that we need because for whatever it is, there's something different about her. I feel better when she's in the house, and your mom loves her as well," Wright noted. He contacted the nurse via text to set up a meeting and discuss further details. When the duo met, they discussed the things as required.
While talking, Hector shared how she met a man who was ever so generous for helping her when she ran out of gas. With the story seemingly familiar, Wright realized that the nurse was Hector, the woman he had helped three years ago. The story she relayed was of him helping her that fateful day. "I just looked at her and I said, 'TunDe, that was me,’” he remarked. They hadn’t recognized each other at the meeting, as they both looked different. Hector’s hair was completely different, and Wright, too, had a hat on. "We both just cried," he said. Hector gave her all to care for Judy, who unfortunately passed away later.
During her time, the nurse bonded well with the family and mentioned her financial struggle to pay for her dream — nursing school. So when Judy passed away, Wright and his family decided that instead of flowers, they’d ask friends and family to raise funds for Hector. The goal was to raise $1,000. In a video shared by Humankind, Wright broke the news to Hector. As she burst into tears from all the gratitude before even learning of the funds, she was overwhelmed when they told her there was more. “You have a gift. A lot of people believe in you and want to see you become a nurse,” Wright said, as he handed over the amount raised within a week.
Over time, people managed to raise over $20,000. "Lord, have mercy! Y'all don't know how worried I was about paying for my school!" she said. Wright noted that he was just trying to help and appreciate all that she had done for his family. "We know that God orchestrated this whole thing and wove it together. We just kept saying, 'There's got to be something good that will come from this.' It's almost like the Lord has used all this to somewhat take some of the sting out of the grief of losing my mom,” he remarked.