The man was ready to give up on life until the little girl’s small act of kindness gave him a new lease on life.

When someone is struggling with homelessness, their worries extend past simply trying to find a place to lay their head for the night.

Often, when someone is living on the streets, they are suffering from some mental illness, depression, or drug problems. Even if a homeless person did not have depression when they started living on the street, the never ending struggle can cause them to feel hopeless and unloved. 

This happened to Daniel Lopez, a homeless man in Spokane, Washington. 

How One Man Found Himself Homeless in a New City

graffiti on a wall
Photo by Toa Heftiba Şinca

Daniel, who is now a very successful artist, was a troubled man whose life had been a challenge from the start.

His father was absent and his mother was an addict who couldn’t fight her own demons, let alone take care of her baby son. Eventually, Daniel was adopted by his grandmother, but it was too late. His severe childhood trauma would lead him to develop his own addictions.

When his grandmother passed away, Daniel moved to Spokane and found himself homeless.

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Daniel felt alone and unloved. Without a family or a home base, he was struggling to find a reason to live. Then, one Valentine’s Day, everything changed.

Daniel was panhandling on the streets, holding a sign asking for charity. Then, a car stopped in front of him. A little girl got out, handed him a cupcake, and wished him a Happy Valentine’s Day

Daniel told the story on social media.

“I gotta tell my Valentine’s Day story. Valentine’s Day 2013 was the last time I ever panhandled. I was homeless, staying at the [shelter], flying a sign in front of Walmart. This little girl came up to me and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day,” and handed me a cupcake. Then she hopped in the backseat of her mom’s car and drove off.”

How a Little Girl’s Gift Changed a Homeless Man’s Life

This brief encounter with the little girl breathed new life into Daniel. He suddenly felt loved, even if only for a brief moment. The small act of kindness had restored his faith in humanity and breathed new life into his soul.

“I looked at that cupcake and folded up my sign, and walked up the road crying, because at the time I felt so unloved. About 2 weeks later I was in a drug rehab program. You never know whose life you can change by being kind.”

RELATED: Kind Woman Spontaneously Strikes up Conversation With a Homeless Man — She Ends up Giving Him a Job and Makes a Lifelong Friend

Daniel truly turned his life around and became a very well-known and successful artist. Now, he is a muralist, painting under the name godffiti.

Daniel’s story is a great reminder that any act of kindness, no matter how small, can have an enormous impact.

The little girl’s pure heart and loving actions gave Daniel enough motivation to turn his life around. Once overcome by loneliness, Daniel’s art inspires and brings people together every day.