On Thanksgiving night in 2023, someone stole John and Lynn Petroski’s Hyundai Sonata in South Philadelphia. John’s walker and cane were inside. Then strangers started sending canes and walkers.
John was 76 when the story ran. He uses oxygen and has several medical conditions. The walker and cane are how he gets around. “I need them to get around, I really do especially outside the house,” he told CBS News Philadelphia.
The station reported the theft on November 30, 2023. People who saw the report did not send money. They sent canes and walkers.
Here is how John described what that meant to him:
“It showed that there is still some kindness in the world which is nice.”
Multiple large boxes of canes and walkers arrived at the couple’s home. According to CBS News Philadelphia, they ended up with more than they needed. The report closes with a thank-you to the people who sent them and a message that no more were needed.
Police found the stolen car. The report says they had no suspects. It does not say where the car was found, who sent the canes and walkers, or what the couple did with the extras.
The part worth noticing
The Petroskis did not ask a stranger for anything. A station told their story, and the people watching knew exactly what was missing. Some of them had a cane or a walker, or could get one.
Another story here turned on a news report too: He saw her story on the news and asked how he could help. In both, the only thing missing was the introduction.
Where this story comes from
Originally reported by CBS News Philadelphia, by Liz Crawford and Adam Fox, published November 30, 2023. Retold here with the details as that report gives them. The Petroskis are not connected to MeetaNeed.
