Walter Carr’s car breaking down couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
The Alabama college student was starting a new job the very next day at Bellhops movers.
Though his new job was about 20 miles from his home, he had no choice but to walk.
So, he slept for four hours and left his home in Homewood, AL at midnight to begin his walk to work.
Carr had about eight to 10 miles left in his journey when his legs started to hurt.
So, he decided to take a rest at around 4 a.m. That’s when he was stopped by the police.
Officer Mark Knighten stopped to ask Carr if everything was OK. He then heard about the young man’s plight to get to work.
“I didn’t want to defeat myself,” Carr the officer.
Knighten radioed his buddies officers Carl Perkinson and Officer Klint Rhones who took Carr for breakfast
Officer Scott Duffey then dropped Carr off at the home of Jenny Lamey at around 6:30 a.m. who hired Carr’s moving company to move her stuff.
“He proceeded to tell us that he had picked up ‘this nice kid’ in Pelham early this morning. The nice kid, Walter, said that he was supposed to help us with our move today. It was his first day on the job with this moving company (Bellhops) and he was ‘training’ today,” Lamey wrote in a Facebook post.
Hearing Carr’s story astounded Lamey.
“My heart just stopped,” Lamey told ABC News.
Even though his co-workers had yet to arrive, Carr got to work alongside Lamey and Carr. While they spoke she learned that Carr was from New Orleans and lost his home in Hurricane Katrina before moving with his mother to Birmingham.
“I just can’t tell you how touched I was by Walter and his journey. He is humble and kind and cheerful and he had big dreams! He is hardworking and tough. I can’t imagine how many times on that lonely walk down 280 in the middle of the night did he want to turn back,” she wrote. “How many times did he wonder if this was the best idea. How many times did he want to find a place to sit or lie down and wait til morning when he could maybe get someone to come pick him up and bring him back home. But he walked until he got here! I am in total awe of this young man!”
Lamey was so touched by Carr’s story that she set up a GoFundMe for him so that he could buy a car.
Once the GoFundMe reached $66,292, Carr decided to donate the rest to the Birmingham Ed Foundation.
The fundraiser made a total of $91,849 before it was closed.
Carr was extremely grateful for all the kindness he was shown.
He says he hopes his story inspires others to pursue their goals.
“I want people to know this – no matter what the challenge is, you can break through the challenge. Nothing is impossible unless you make it impossible,” he said. “You can do anything you set your mind to.
Learn more about Carr’s story in the video below.
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