For those of us who are lucky enough to have a family on which we can lean on at difficult times, we cannot imagine the horror if we find ourselves alone needing help.
But this is exactly what happened to a 17-year-old girl that went through a tragedy, fought depression and addiction and found herself homeless and pregnant.
She had no one to turn to except her cousin who was 6 years older than her. Her cousin’s reaction made a huge difference in her life, and what this young guy did warmed hearts and made headlines all over the world.
Tommy Connolly, from Sunshine Coast, Australia, lived a normal life of a 23-year-old: studied hard, trained as an athlete, and worked part-time.
But a Facebook message he received one day from his 17-year-old cousin, whose name remained confidential because of her young age, was about to change his life.
His cousin needed help and without hesitation, this wonderful young man opened his home for her immediately.
The cousin turned to Tommy when she was desperate. She had nowhere to go and she was pregnant.
When the baby’s father was in prison and her parents were not in touch with her, Tommy said he gave her a home “to make sure she would keep the baby, get away from the streets and have a better life”, the british Independent reports.
“No one deserves to live the life she lives”
But he not only opened his home for her, he also adopted her.
In a Facebook message Tommy wrote to his cousin: “It was her only option. She spent more time on the streets than anywhere else, and knows the police better than she knows her family”.| “She can write a book about traumatic experiences. Not many people know her story. It is extremely powerful. No one deserves to live as she lives”.
Just one week after adopting his cousin, she gave birth to a baby, and Tommy became a grandfather.
In addition to attending university and practicing, Tommy also works part-time to support his family.
Despite the noble act and the fact that the news about his kindness has been shared by thousands of people around the world, Tommy says he feels guilty because of all the attention he gets.
Puts his life on hold to save the lives of others
“We got so many messages that made us realize there are so many more people in this situation, I don’t want people to think it’s a special thing”, Tommy said.
“My cousin does 90 percent of the work – and if I have to put my life on hold for a year or two to make sure two lives are saved, then that’s nothing for me”.
His older brother set up a fundraiser to help his brother raise tens of thousands of dollars.
Tommy is an inspiration. Making such a big sacrifice at age of 23 is just amazing.
Please share to pay homage to this young man and wish him all the best in the world.