Social media users have been enthusiastically sharing a touching photo of a Fort Wayne, Indiana teenager helping an elderly shopper at a local shopping mall. Leah Kerr had taken her grandmother and two small children to the Glenbrook Square Mall. As she exited the bottom of the escalator and headed toward the food court area, she realized that her grandmother had somehow gotten separated from the rest of the group.
The bewildered elderly woman was still at the top of the escalator. Local news reported that she had felt gripped by a sudden fear that was making her incapable of getting onto the escalator. She was afraid she may suddenly topple down the swiftly moving steps, so she simply stayed at the top, with her family not realizing the situation until they were already far below her.
Leah Kerr related the story afterwards. She said, “I didn’t realize until I stepped on that grandma was too scared to get on. I felt horrible as I watched her try again and again to get her footing right. People walked around her, pushed by her or asked her to step to the side.” Since Kerr was already at the bottom with her children, she knew that it was going to be difficult for her to reach her grandma’s side in time to help her climb onto the moving staircase.
That’s when the hero of this heartwarming story came on the scene. A local teen took time to notice the elderly shopper’s plight. Unlike so many of the other patrons of the mall, he showed concern for her predicament and decided to do something to help her. He gently came alongside her and took her arm, supporting her and reassuring her as he rode down the escalator at her side.
This young man’s consideration and willingness to be a blessing caught Kerr by surprise. She was so impressed that she decided to snap a picture of the touching scene. She recorded her thoughts about the teen’s thoughtful deed on social media. She wrote about the decision to take grandma shopping, and about the frustration she felt as she noticed that with her hands full of bags and her eyes on the children, she had not seen her grandma’s terrified face as she approached the escalator.
Next, she remarked woefully about the many, many people who chose to simply overlook the frightened senior citizen as they rushed past on their busy shopping trips. Then, finally, she shared the story of the teen who cared enough to make a difference. This young person had the decency and common courtesy not only to get Kerr’s grandmother onto the escalator, but to hold her hand throughout the duration of her ride and see to it that she safely made it off the last step. She expressed her extreme gratitude for the teen’s willingness to help.
If you found this story to be an inspiration, share it with your friends and family. You never know when it may remind someone who is in the right place at the right time to engage in an act of kindness toward another person in need.