From USA Today:
"Text messages overwhelm dying Army veteran's phone"
People from around the world answered the call for help. In doing so, they brightened the day of a dying Army veteran who wanted nothing more than to hear from us. The simple act of sending a text message meant the world to Lee Hernandez, who served the country for 18½ years. The 47-year-old is under hospice care in New Braunfels, Texas. His dying wish is to receive text messages and phone calls from anybody willing to talk to him. So far, his wish has been granted thousands and thousands and thousands of times over. "Had one of the best days in a long time and even danced! This is huge," Hernandez said on a GoFundMe page set up Sunday for him. Hernandez's wife, Ernestine, who will celebrate her 13th wedding anniversary with him next week, enlisted the help of Caregivers of Wounded Warriors and the Arizona Veteran Forum to spread to word. In a matter of days, Lee Hernandez’s inbox was filled with more than 100,000 text messages. The response he got was overwhelming — probably a little more than anyone expected — and crashed the Hernandez’s phone, according to the GoFundMe page. “The fact that people contacted him and there were people who cared has really made a dramatic effect on Lee’s mood and spirit and overall health,” according to the GoFundMe Page, named Support Lee American Hero Campaign. The page was briefly set up for Lee Hernandez to “fill this season of his life with all the joy that we can.” It was shut down after it quickly met its fundraising goal of $3,000. Ernestine Hernandez previously said that doctors have not been able to pinpoint a cause for her husband's illness. He suffers from continuous strokes, lose of cognitive abilities and blindness But all of the love and support has brightened his days. She shared a video Friday of her husband thanking everyone for uplifting him. “I appreciate it all,” she said. The money raised will go toward improving his home accessibility, getting a hitch kit to transport his motorized wheelchair and to visiting places on his bucket list. "His medical condition is still very fragile, but he loves the support you all are giving him," according to the GoFundMe page.He will be able to get a service dog and a cleaning service, according to the Arizona Veteran’s Forum. "And his old platoon that he lost contact with are going to make a trip to see him after many years,” forum officials said.
^ This is one of those sad stories that actually makes you feel good. ^
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