Air Force veteran Hody Childress had a 10-year-old secret. Not even his closest family members knew about it.
Childress, who lived in Geraldine, Alabama, passed away without telling anyone his secret.
It was only a few months before the 80-year-old’s passing that the secret was finally revealed.
Though his act of kindness helped many, it was only known by a single person.
But once his secret was out in the open, it inspired many others to follow in his footsteps.
Childress, who retired from Lockheed Martin, was also a farmer and was known as a religious man who was kind and caring.
He kept up his charitable act until about three months before his passing when he could not longer leave the house to perform it.
That’s when he had to spill the beans to his daughter, Tania Nix, so she could continue in his place.
“I was going to the drug store one day, and he said, ‘I’ve been doing something for a while, and I’d like for you to continue it while I’m alive,’” Nix told AL.com.
Childress would take a $100 bill and slip it to Brooke Walker, the owner at Geraldine Drugs, on the first day of every month.
The donation would go toward helping others who had trouble paying for their prescriptions.
“You would see people rationalizing in their head what they’re about to do,” Walker said. “I was honored that he allowed me to do that. And it really encouraged me to do the same in my life.”
Childress’ only request was that Walker keep the donation anonymous, telling her, “I just want you to tell them that this is a blessing from God.”
Nix thought her dad had been donating for just a few months. But he had actually been doing it for 10 years.
“It wasn’t surprising. There was more to daddy than this one story, he done a lot for everybody,” Childress’ son Doug told WLS.
After his passing, the story about Childress’ charitable act got out.
It was even picked up the media. It went viral and stretched as far as Japan.
Childress’ children confirmed that they will be continuing their father’s tradition.
But other residents in Geraldine decided that they wanted to help too. Now there’s a fund four times the size of what Childress used to pay.
Some have even paid for the entire year.
Walker reported that colleagues at different pharmacies say that people have asked to start a fund to at their pharmacy.
Walker has received dozens of letters about what an inspiration Childress’ story has been.
“It’s been an encouraging thing for them to be a more compassionate, loving person. I knew he never would have imagined somebody in California would have done that,” she said.
Childress’ children said that they know their father would be incredibly proud to know that he’s inspired others to do to help out their fellow man.
Learn more about Childress’ story in the video below!
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