When Ryan O’Donnell noticed that the woman in front of him was struggling to pay for her groceries, he gave the cashier his debit card.
But when the cashier swiped the card, the woman suddenly turned around and started screaming at Ryan. And what she did next was even more shocking...
Her Cards Weren't Working
The lady had every intention of paying for her groceries.
But for some reason, all of her cards got declined. Having no cash on her, she decided to leave the items with the cashier and come back at a later time.
She Was Having Some Trouble With Her Card
“I was just there in the grocery aisle or checkout with my kids and I saw the old lady having some trouble with the card," he recalled.
“She swiped it quite a number of times and then they took her around to the front cigarette counter and got her to keep trying."
He Wanted To Help Her
Ryan didn't know who the elderly woman was, but he desperately wanted to help her.
There was something about her that reminded him of his late mother and that feeling motivated him to help her. But he had no idea how the woman would react to his act of kindness...
He Decided To Pay For Her Groceries
Ryan figured that maybe this lady was struggling financially, or her bank had made a mistake.
So he decided to brighten her day and pay for her groceries. After all, it only cost $44. Little did he know what was about to happen next.
He Gave Her The Money
Ryan approached the cashier, reached into his pocket, and took out a $50 bill. He gave the bill to the elderly woman so she could pay for her groceries.
But he didn't know that someone had been watching him the entire time.
He Didn't Think It Was A Big Deal
Ryan didn't think what he did was a big deal. Being a wealthy man, $50 was nothing for him and he was glad he could help someone out.
But there was one customer in line known on Twitter as Luke or @Boycey1105 who saw what he had done and there was no way he was going to pass up the chance to capture this moment on camera.
He Shared This Moment On Twitter
"This guy at Wyoming Coles who just went through the register with his two kids paid for this lady's groceries when her card kept declining," Luke wrote on Twitter.
Soon, people began liking and commenting on his post. But what did Ryan think of his tweet?
His Tweet Went Viral
So far, Luke's tweet has received 798 likes and 286 retweets! The news outlets began searching for Ryan hoping to get his side of the story.
After a few days, they were able to find him. But would Ryan agree to be interviewed?
He Was Invited To An Interview
Once the story went viral, Ryan was invented to an interview with The Today Show.
Finally, he told the people what they had been dying to know.
He Couldn't Walk Away
“So I just could not walk away,” Ryan told hosts Lisa Wilkinson and Karl Stefanovic.
“That’s how my mum and dad brought me up.” But did he keep in touch with the lady after this?
She Offered To Pay Him Back
The woman offered to pay him back, but Ryan refused to accept her money.
"I said, look, don't worry about it. It was only $44. You'll be right," he told her. Sadly, this was the last time he saw her.
They Never Met Again
Ryan and the elderly woman never met again after that day, but he doesn't regret helping her and hopes she is doing fine.
"She's a beautiful lovely old lady. She reminded me of my nan or grandma," Ryan said.
A Good Man
If more people were like Ryan, the world would be a better place.
People from all over the world were praising him for doing a good deed and helping the woman.
The Reactions
'The world, while seemingly drowning in paranoia and hate, just keeps giving. Thanks for sharing,' Bernadette Brennan commented under the tweet.
"It's good to see there are decent people out there looking after their elders … A big thank you to this gentleman for opening his heart and his wallet," Libby wall wrote.