89-year-old Fidencio Sanchez, has been selling paletas in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood for decades. Despite his age and strength, this grandpa shuffles up and down the streets, pushing an ice cream cart and ringing a bell to catch the attention of people. Sanchez struggles to keep his weak legs, but he always keeps his commitment and a smile on his face.
Challenges In Life
Life was totally hard for this poor grandpa. Sanchez was orphaned at 6-months and started working from the age of 13 to support himself. Since 1993, he has been the neighborhood ice cream man. Sanchez retired this summer, but his situations forced him back to the job again. His wife became ill and could no longer work and lost their only daughter.
God Sends a Miracle
In the 89-years of life, the only thing left to remember for this grandpa was his sufferings, until a stranger stepped in.
Joel Cervantes Macias, a Wisconsin restaurant owner was driving through the Chicago neighborhood where he was born and raised. He noticed the hunched elderly man. He stopped, bought 20 paletas and gave him $50. Joel’s heart was broken seeing Sanchez who is still working at the age instead of enjoying the retirement. He snapped this photograph and shared to Facebook. The touching portrait moved many including a friend Jose Loera. He decided they should do more. They started a campaign on GoFundMe for the paleta man seeking $3,000. Within hours, the page was flooded with kindness of people around the world. Now, It has reached more than a quarter of a million dollars in just 5 days with the love and support of 16,000 people from 52 countries. It has become one of the largest GoFundMe campaign in Illinois.
The Millionaire Grandpa
Sanchez, the 89-year-old grandpa is about to retire soon from his work and also from 89 years of his sufferings. He also plans to donate a chunk of the money to people in need. This beautiful story proves humanity still exists!