Sometimes, a girl needs a second opinion. That’s exactly what “Syd” was looking for when she texted a friend some pictures of herself trying on a dress she was considering buying.
Things took a funny turn when she realized she texted the wrong number, getting a hilarious and supportive reply back from the unintended recipient, a father of six from Missouri.
“I believe this message was intended for someone else,” he wrote. “My wife isn’t home, so I couldn’t get her opinion, but the kids and I think you look stunning in your dress! You should definitely go with that one!”
Twitter user Mandi Miller posted screenshots of the exchange on Twitter, which made it go viral. But the story doesn't end there.
As it turns out, the reason Tony Wood’s wife wasn’t at home to offer her own fashion advice is a heartbreaking one. She was taking care of Kaizler, the couple’s hospitalized six-year-old, who has been battling leukemia for years.
Twitter users quickly learned of the situation through the viral post, and one hawk-eyed user from India went on a mission to find a way to help the Woods out. Finding the family’s GoFundMe page, he shared it on the platform, asking the Twitterverse to work “its magic."
And the Twitterverse delivered. At the time of publishing, the fundraiser had surpassed its initial goal over five times, reaching $54,510. Before the fundraiser was shared on Twitter, the Woods had only raised a little over $2,000, so it was an unexpected turn of events.
The outpouring of love and generosity has touched the family deeply, inspiring them to use their moment of fame for good.
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With donations still coming in, the family of eight has decided to lend a helping hand to another family in need, redirecting people’s generosity towards Finn Sawyer Shafran, a three-year old diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in August 2016.
Facing the mounting costs of caring for Finn, his family created a YouCaring fundraiser, which the Wood family shared on its own GoFundMe page. As of publication, that fundraiser too has passed its initial goal. Talk about paying it forward!
Two of Mr. Moriarty's students pose with their yearbook from 1982.WHAM via CNN / Video
man holding a yearbookWHAM via CNN / Video
Black and white photos from school yearbookWHAM via CNN / Video
Patrick Moriarty (center, blue shirt) and a group of his former students watched the solar eclipse together on Monday in New York.Caitlin Moriarty Hynick
