A man, after eight hours spent teaching at his school, would go to work in a warehouse nearby for his second job. A single father was trying to make money so his son could be able to walk again. But he didn’t know how unexpectedly his life would change.
“I have bad news for you, Mr. Damien,” The doctor stated. “Unfortunately, your wife is in a coma at the moment, and Maddox cannot walk on his own.”
After hearing from the doctor, Damien, a loving father and husband of 34 years, shrugged. Maddox’s wife and her son had been in an accident on the way to school one day before and are currently in critical condition in hospital.
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“I will do what it takes to save my family,” Damien informed the doctor.
“Well, Damien. We will try our best to bring your wife out of her coma, but let me be honest: Her treatment will be expensive,” Dr. “And you know Maddox needs spinal surgery to walk again.”
“Don’t worry about that, doc. Please start my wife’s treatment as soon as possible,” Damien climbed to his feet in the room of the doctor. “I’ll pay for the treatment by tonight.”
Damien thought about his savings while driving back from the hospital. Although his teaching job did not allow him to save much, the money he had left in his account was sufficient for his wife’s treatment.
Damien later paid the bill for his wife’s care before they began to perform the surgery. As his son was still at the hospital, Damien had spent all of his money on her treatment. Maddox’s ability to walk was no longer possible, so there was little chance of Maddox being able to get up on his own feet.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Damien,” The doctors told him that the following day. “We couldn’t save your wife.”
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Damien felt the beat of his heart beating and then his legs began to weaken. He laid down in a hospital chair and covered his head with his hands. “Mr. Damien? Are you okay?” a nurse asked.
Damien, who was working in the warehouse to load heavy cartons into the truck one day, felt sharp pain in his stomach and fell on the ground.
As he looked at the nurse, the man who was devastated couldn’t help but smile. He had lost his most beloved woman. Maddox! He wondered as he walked towards the room of his son in hospital.
Damien entered Maddox’s room to find him peacefully asleep. He decided not wake him. Damien eventually realized that his son could walk again and that he wouldn’t let him lose him.
Maddox, I will not let you go. You’ll walk again. Damien then thought of himself and said that he’d get his son up on his feet. Maddox had spinal surgery and Damien couldn’t pay the bill.
Damien began looking for work online a few days after the funeral of his wife. He had already spent his entire income on Maddox’s care, so he didn’t have any money left to pay for Maddox’s operation.
Damien took two hours to close his laptop, then took another deep breath. Damien had already sent his resume to several hiring managers looking for workers in the afternoon. After his teaching experience, he planned to take on another job.
Damien loved his teaching job and was dedicated to it. His students were his greatest asset and Damien could not imagine leaving them without his support.
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Damien got a call two days later from the hiring manager for a warehouse close to his school. The hiring manager of a warehouse near Damien called him later in the day and asked for an interview. He accepted to come by their office.
He told the hiring manager all about Maddox during the interview. The warehouse manager hired Damien to work as a loader after hearing his story.
“Thank you so much!” Damien said this as he left the warehouse. Because Maddox was his only hope of getting back to his feet, he was thrilled to have the job.
Damien would often leave home early in the morning to return around midnight, while Maddox was still at hospital. He worked 17 hours daily, which was exhausting. But he never gave up.
A few months later Damien was able to save enough money for Maddox’s operation. He consented to the operation, even though the chance of success was very slim.
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“Mr. Damien?” Standing near Damien’s hospital seat, the doctor stated. Maddox had been inside the operating theatre when Maddox fell asleep.
“Is Maddox okay? How is he doing?” Damien, worried, consulted the doctor.
“Calm down, Mr. Damien. Maddox is absolutely fine!” He was told by the doctor. “The surgery was successful, and we think your son will be able to walk again. Congratulations!”
Damien let out an exhale of relief when the doctor looked at him. Maddox could now walk after his tireless efforts. He didn’t know that Maddox still required therapy.
Damien was informed by doctors about his therapy costs a day later. Damien had to continue working 17 hours per day to teach his son how to walk.
“Don’t worry, Maddox,” Damien spoke to his son at the hospital. “You’ll be on your feet in no time!”
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Maddox was undergoing therapy. Damien was able to work seventeen hours per day. He was a teacher in the morning and a loader during school. He didn’t take breaks and quickly realized that he was working too hard.
Damien was one day at the warehouse, loading large cartons into the truck. He felt sharp pain in his stomach and fell on the floor. A few minutes later, Damien was taken to the hospital by an ambulance.
Damien suffered from a stroke after his body was unable to bear the stress. His health was affected by his tireless work and insufficient rest. Maddox was shocked to learn that his father had died. He quickly climbed into his wheelchair and got there.
“What happened to Dad?” Maddox consulted his father’s physician.
“Look, Maddox, your father needs to rest. He just suffered a stroke that could have claimed his life, but he was lucky enough that the first responders brought him here on time.”
Maddox nodded, and asked the doctor to see his father. “Yes, you can meet him. But please don’t talk to him about anything stressful.”
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“Hi, Dad,” Maddox smiled after he entered his hospital room with his wheelchair. “How are you feeling now?”
“I’m fine, son. There’s nothing to worry about,” Damien said.
“Dad, you need to rest,” Maddox was firm in his assertions. “The doctors told me you had been working too hard the past few days. Were you doing extra hours at school?”
Damien spoke to his son after a short silence. He said that he was a loader and had barely slept during the day.
“You worked 17 hours a day? Why, Dad?” Maddox was worried.
“I had to pay for your surgery and therapy, Maddox,” Damien replied. “I couldn’t deprive you of your ability to walk.”
“Oh, Dad!” Maddox held onto the father’s hand. “I had no idea you worked so hard for my surgery.”
Maddox went to his father’s school later in the day with his friend. He was able to enter his office from his wheelchair and entered it. “Hi, Mr. Brandon. I’m Maddox, Mr. Damien’s son,” Maddox stated.
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“Oh, Maddox!” Brandon shared his thoughts. “How are you? And how is Mr. Damien?”
“I’m on the road to recovery, but Dad is still in the hospital,” Maddox smiled with force. “I wanted to talk to you about Dad.”
“Sure, Maddox. What is it?” Brandon asked.
“Umm… I wanted to know about the promotion policy at school,” Maddox spoke after clearing his throat. “Is Dad eligible for it?”
“I don’t think so, Maddox,” Brandon replied. “Look, something is going on with your Dad. I have caught him sleeping during multiple lessons in the past few months, and even the students have told me about it. I have been thinking of firing him.”
“What?” Maddox’s eyes widen.
Maddox shared with the principal his feelings about Damien. Maddox explained to the principal why he had worked 17 hours per week and that he didn’t have time for rest.
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“Oh, God! I had no idea Damien was going through so much,” Brandon shared his thoughts. “He could have told me about it. I am always ready to help the teachers of our school.”
Brandon and Damien had a long conversation. Brandon suggested that Damien be helped by an online fundraising campaign. “That’s a great idea!” Maddox exclaimed.
Brandon created a GoFundMe account to assist Damien with hospital costs later that day. Surprised, his teachers, parents and students donated generously. Brandon also visited Damien two days later at the hospital, to share the news about the gifts.
“Everyone helped raise funds for you, Mr. Damien! You have so many well-wishers in school!” Brandon spoke to Damien.
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“Thank you for setting up the online fundraiser,” Damien smiled at the boss. “I had no idea everyone would step forward to help me. I’m eternally grateful for the support!”
“Damien, you could have asked me for help when you ran out of money,” Brandon sat beside Damien at his bedside. “Asking for help isn’t a weakness at all. We’re all here to support you!”
“You are right,” Damien replied. “I should have asked you for help.”
Is there anything we can learn from this tale?
- Do not be afraid to ask for assistance. Many people believe asking for help, like Damien does, is weakness. Sometimes, our family and friends need to support us. Asking for assistance should not be a cause of embarrassment.
- Family and friends make us stronger. When you begin asking for support, you’ll never feel alone. Your closest family members will make you stronger.
This story is worth sharing with family, friends, and colleagues. This story might bring joy to their lives and encourage them.
You can click here for another account of a teacher that needed expensive surgery. Only a janitor stepped forward to help the teacher and give her $15K when the school staff found out.
The inspiration for this piece came from stories that our readers have shared with us. It was written by professional writers. All resemblances to real names and locations are purely coincidental. Illustrations are provided for educational purposes only. We would love to hear your story.