The Internet has come to the rescue of an 80-year-old man who had to sell firewood on the roadside to pay for his wife's medical bills. Kenneth Smith sold kindling every day for $5 a bag. He started last year and was helped by his wife of over 30 years, who was dying of cancer. Tragically, she lost her battle in October and Mr Smith was left with a huge hospital bill, which wiped out his life savings. A local woman saw Mr Smith and posted on Facebook to get people to help him. Her post was shared over 9,000 times. Motorists stopped their car to give Mr Smith some cash.
The woman's kindness encouraged Mr Smith's son to set up an online appeal. He created a web page and donations came flooding in from all over the world. The online campaign raised $20,000. The woman said she had "no clue" her actions would lead to such generosity. She said: "Although it will not lessen the heartache of losing his wife, I am thankful it will at least take a little worry off of his plate and help him make ends meet." Mr Smith said he has been "overwhelmed". He said although his wife wasn't by his side, he feels her presence, "because she's looking down on me," he said.
