How It Backfired
To say the least, she was offended. When she approached the McDonald's manager, everyone laughed in her face. She'd already had a horrible day, so this was the icing on the cake. Wasn't it her right to eat her dinner without having to look at something so ...unpleasant?
She made the decision to pursue the matter further. But "Karen" was about to have everything blown up in her face.
Hometown
Luann Cofield had spent her entire life in Fayetteville, Georgia. She had recently noticed what she perceived to be the town's degeneration. She noticed it whenever she turned her head to gaze somewhere.
She had fallen in love with this town, but things were not going well for it.
Hungry
She was hungry, so she went for a walk to get her lunch. But as she walked down the street, she noticed that things were becoming increasingly irritable to her. Maybe it was her being on the lookout, or maybe it was just a bad day.
She had no idea things would only get worse from here.
Interrupting Her Meal
Luann chose to eat at her neighborhood McDonald's. Perhaps obtaining some food might make her feel better and enhance her mood. She decided to get a Big Mac meal with fries and a Coke.
But as she was putting the burger to her lips, she spotted something that caused her to angrily smash it back down and go see if she could speak with the manager.
Closer Look
When Luann initially walked into the restaurant, she observed what she believed were rags spread on the booth. That didn't stop her from eating – she was hungry. But upon closer inspection, she realized what it was.
On the booth's bench, there was a man who was lying down. Luann was curious about who he was; he may have been a junkie or a drunk. She wouldn't be pleased until she found out.
Demanding The Manager
The cashier braced himself as he watched Luann stomping towards the counter, "I want to talk to the manager!" she demanded. He knew she wasn't joking, so he summoned the manager right away.
When the manager arrived, Luann wasted no time complaining loudly about the man sleeping in the booth. For a while, the manager glanced at her, contemplating his next move. He then muttered something that worsened the situation.
We Know
"Oh sure, we know," the manager said, looking at the man napping in the restaurant. Luann couldn't believe her eyes. He didn't take her complaints seriously and laughed directly in her face.
She realized she had to take action. She took out her phone and decided to shoot a photo that would garner a lot more attention than she had anticipated. It would soon become such a source of contention that her Facebook account would be deactivated.
Posting On Facebook
Without hesitation, Luann took the photo and uploaded it to her Facebook page. She planned to show the world what she discovered in the restaurant and how she was treated.
She then waited for her Facebook pals' help. She knew at the very least that her community would support her, right? She was completely wrong.
Rant
"Just another reason for me to leave Fayetteville!" Luann posted. "I was in the McDonald’s in the middle of town and I saw this guy sleeping in the booth!"
"Their response was ‘Oh yeah, we know, hee hee. It’s OK.’ And I said, ‘Not really, but whatever.’" The feedback began to pour in thick and fast.
Not What She Expected
Many people were intrigued by Luann's post. She grinned, knowing she'd get her backup. But then something unexpected happened: she was the one who was met with outrage.
Thousands of comments were left in response to Luann's actions. They were enraged by what she had done, and she had no idea why. Who was this man who everyone was rallying around?
Fry Cook
People who saw the sleeping man recognized him as Simon Childs. He was a 21-year-old who had had a string of terrible luck in recent months.
Simon worked as a fry cook for the same McDonald's, which is why he was sleeping there. The staff didn't mind because something terrible happened to Simon that they could relate to.
Homeless Father
Simon, it turned out, was getting some shut-eye before his next shift began. The new father was working additional shifts to earn enough money to feed his four-month-old son.
In addition, Simon was homeless. He just couldn't stretch his little earnings far enough to cover his rent. Simon was distraught when he discovered Luann had posted a photo of him at his lowest point.
Recent Loss
"It hurt me to see my picture up there," he admitted in an interview. With everything he was going through, including the recent loss of his mother, the last thing Simon needed was a stranger publicly condemning him.
However, as local news picked up on the tale, Simon and Luann were thrust into the spotlight. The unfortunate man's humiliation in public was far from ended.
Back To Work
Luann had gotten so much backlash online by this point that she couldn't handle it anymore. She cancelled her Facebook account and tried to forget about it.
Meanwhile, Simon kept putting in his time at work. He arrived at the restaurant the morning after the post went viral to find an unexpected sight.
Stepping Up
"I didn’t think the community would even care enough about me to do that, but they care," Simon said tearfully when he discovered the stacks of diapers, formula, and other baby supplies on the restaurant floor.
More encouragement and offers of assistance poured in. Then a number of local cooks decided to step up... From there, things just snowballed.
Help Poured In
Fusion Chefs Eatery in Fayetteville is owned by Theo and Xavier Thomas. When they learned of Simon's predicament, they felt they had to help in any way they could.
So they contacted him and told him that he could use their car for free to get to job interviews. They weren't the only ones that helped Simon on his way to a better life.
Haircut
A barber immediately intervened and gave Simon a new haircut in order to boost his chances of getting a better job. "Simon's story simply touched our hearts," Xavier said.
All of this was excellent news for Simon, who quickly had more profitable work options lined up, but the struggling father still didn't have a place to stay.
Hotel Stay
More residents contributed to Simon and his child's hotel stay, ensuring that they had a safe place to sleep at night. Someone even went so far as to create a GoFundMe account for him.
It didn't take long for donations to start pouring in. Simon was really appreciative of the opportunities that had been provided to him, and he has even committed to paying it forward in order to assist others in his circumstance.
Helping Others
"Everything I get, I want to work for it," said the grateful young man. "I actually want to use everything I’m getting from this and help other homeless people."
But what about Luann, the angry woman whose negative comments triggered a chain reaction of good fortune in Simon's life? What is Simon's current opinion of her?
Criticism
Luann got harsh criticism for her scathing Facebook post. Fortunately, despite her ill intentions, the outcome of her actions resulted in some positive developments in Simon's life.
But removing her Facebook account wouldn't be enough to make atonement for embarrassing him. Luann eventually consented to meet Simon in person.
Amendments
"I didn't want to hurt him," she explained in an interview outside the McDonald's where it all began. Luann was devastated when she learned of Simon's predicament. When she met him again, she ran over to hug him.
“I’m sorry. Because, you know, that horrified me. That breaks my heart for you,” she told him. But can Simon forgive her?
Lesson To Learn
"I’m not homeless, not now, thanks to Luann," he said, happily. "I’m no longer sleeping in a McDonald’s, so that’s good. I feel great."
Then, he turned to Luann and said, "I do want to thank you. Not for the post per se, but for helping me pick my life up off the ground." So has Luann learned her lesson?
Not Taking Advantage
When asked if she would do the same thing again if she were in a similar scenario, she said no. "Absolutely not. And I would handle it differently. Maybe talk to somebody and see what the situation is."
Simon's GoFundMe effort has so far raised $10,000 and is still going strong. Simon, on the other hand, has no intention of taking advantage of the community's goodwill.
Giving Back
"I actually want to use everything I’m getting from this and help other homeless people," he confessed to New Media. And, just a few weeks after his story went viral, employment offers began to flood in.
Simon had accepted a new job in construction when we last heard from him. His GoFundMe page now read, "Simon meets his new work team! Dressed for comfortable travel as they head out of town to the job site! Safe travels and good luck on your new adventure!" Nonetheless, many netizens were upset.
Response Of Public
With the exception of a few irate users, the internet reaction to Simon's story has been mostly positive, with people all over the world congratulating him on his new job and new life.
"Great story about how when the intent to shame goes the polar opposite and in a POSITIVE way!" one man wrote. Another woman added: "What she meant for evil, God meant for good. God bless you #SimonChilds and your baby!"