Louis Hicks has had it tough all of his life.
Even as a young man, he had huge responsibilities – he raised his two sisters after his mother died when they were young.
The 92-year-old World War II veteran is used to taking care of others and not asking for any help for himself as a result. He’s proud of his hard-won self-sufficiency.
In an interview with Austin’s ABC affiliate KVUE News, he described how his past had made him loathe to ask for assistance from others:
“You hate to ask anybody [for help] ’cause sometimes they’ll frown on you— and I’m a true veteran. I won’t ask. I won’t ask.”
But some things require a helping hand, and Hicks really did need one.
The heater in his home malfunctioned. The damage to the unit was so bad that it had started burning a hole through the floor of his home.
But the vet was on a tight budget and paying for repairs was out of the question. The self-sufficiency kicked in and he decided to rig up a solution on his own using materials he had around the house.
It wasn’t until Hicks was forced to call 911 after seeing some thieves attempt to steal power tools from his shed that others got involved in his situation.
The officers who showed up to take his report were the ones who noticed his not-so-ideal heating situation.
Officer Chasity Salazar was taking down Hicks’ information when she noticed that his gas oven was on with nothing cooking. When she asked him about it, the vet told her he had rigged the stove to warm his home.
Hicks was using a portable fan to blow the heated air from his gas-powered stove and oven into his living room.
“That’s just what we do as police officers,” she told KVUE. “I had just realized that he’s using the oven. I know that’s not safe. His gas is on.”
Salazar then contacted the Austin Police Department for assistance. Along with the organizations Austin Cops 4 Charities, the Austin Police Association, and St. David’s Foundation, everyone banded together to deliver a big – and much safer – surprise to the man who had never asked for anything in his life.
They got him brand-new heater, free of charge.
Hicks was stunned when Salazar showed at his door with her fellow officer Bino Cadenas to deliver the gift.
He couldn’t hold back his tears at the gesture.
“I’ve never had no one do nothing for me. After my mother passed away and left me to take care of my two sisters … nobody never did nothing to help me.”
It took 92 years, but someone had finally lent the veteran a helping hand – and a life-saving one at that. And he accepted it with grace and gratitude.
But that wasn’t all the officers did for him. One week later, they returned to drop off another gift – a new electric fireplace!
When the heartwarming story hit the news, grateful neighbors and community members began dropping off gifts at Hicks’ home, no strings attached.
Salazar told KVUE she’s happy to have helped a man who’s done so much for his country:
“He’s just offered me a lot of kindness, too, so to know that he’s also served, and now I’m able to serve and give back to people like him,” she said.
Be sure to scroll down below to see the touching moment when Hicks received the surprise of a lifetime.
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