Earlier this month, a struggling Gulf War veteran with disabilities had to decide whether to give up his home or feed his family. Now, thanks to the Internet, this former serviceman won’t ever have to make that impossible choice.
But the happy ending for this story actually started with the kindness of another vet who had fallen on hard times.
Last month, Las Vegas magician Rob Anderson pulled off one of his greatest tricks.
He made piles of money pour out from homeless veteran Alan McKracken’s cardboard sign. Anderson then inspired the Internet to donate money too and eventually collected more than $40,000.
But McKracken only accepted the money he needed and asked that the rest be given to another veteran in need.
That’s when Anderson visited Gulf War veteran Johnny Hicks who said he was recently fired from his government job after taking time off to get surgery for a disability he incurred while serving.
Since then, money has been tight for the family of six, especially after they recently lost much of their furniture and clothes to a mold issue.
“I want to be able to do good things for people,” said Hicks who served in the Navy for 20 years. “I’m just struggling right now.”
The family subsists on $1,200 a month from his military retirement, which isn’t enough to cover their food and rent costs.
But with help from complete strangers, Anderson had enough funds to pay those bills, and a little leftover for some extra frills.
"You deserve it -- for your service to the country, for allowing me to live the life I want to live,” Anderson told the shocked veteran. “You provided that for me and a lot of other people.”
Watch the video above to see this deserving and grateful veteran get a boost so he can get back on his feet.
