Kind Hearted Stranger Helps A Struggling Mom Before Both Their Lives Take A Dramatic Turn

Kind-hearted stranger helps a struggling mom before both of their lives take a dramatic turn. One hectic trip to the store brought Jamie Lynn Knighton to the brink of insanity until an unexpected interaction saved her from having a total meltdown. Indebted to a stranger, Jamie Lynn wanted to return the favor the next day. But when she tried to contact him, she found that making things even wouldn't be so simple. Jamie Lynn Knighton had a lot on her plate. See, she and her husband recently welcomed a new baby into the world, and she had devoted nearly all her time and energy into caring for him. She knew she could really use a guardian angel. Following a draining trip, Jamie Lynn touched down in Southern California. She would have liked nothing more than to go home and sleep, but the Knightons had almost no food left in the house. She decided to make a quick run to the store. So Jamie Lynn head over to the Trader Joe's in Oceanside with her five-month-old in tow. Weaving through the busy aisles, she filled up her cart with a number of items. However, this errand wasn't going as smoothly as she hoped. Her worn-out infant was throwing a tantrum in the store. Between trying to calm him down and apologizing to other customers around them, Jamie Lynn barely had time to scan the shelves for food she wanted. Finally, the tired mom and kid made it to checkout. With any luck, the line would move swiftly and they could get home in a matter of minutes. Jamie Lynn stepped up to the register and pulled out her credit card. Except each time she swiped, the register declined her card. Realizing that the bank thought she was still traveling, Jamie Lynn panicked. How was she going to pay for this huge grocery order? Moments later, she felt a tap on her shoulder and whirled around to face a stranger. Without giving him a chance to speak, the stressed mom said she was sorry for the delay. The last thing she needed was a customer screaming too. Except, scanning over Jamie Lynn's $200 order, the customer who introduced himself as Matthew Jackson made a shocking offer. He said he would pay for her entire cart. Though with one condition. Jamie Lynn had to pay it forward and someday do the same for someone else in need. Grateful beyond belief, she accepted his generous proposition. The mom also insisted on jotting down Matthew's information so she could pay him back. Matthew mentioned he worked at a nearby LA Fitness, so Jamie Lynn called the gym the next day. When she asked for Matthew Jackson, however, all she heard on the other line was a sob. That sobbing came from Angela Lavender, the manager of the LA Fitness. Once she took a moment to calm herself, Angela explained that Matthew wouldn't be able to meet. There had been an accident. Less than 24 hours after Matthew paid for the night's groceries, his car had veered into a tree. Two passengers with him entered the hospital with severe injuries, but Matthew got the worst of the crash. He died from the trauma shortly after. This news shook Jamie Lynn to her core. Was it possible that the life of this good Samaritan was snuffed out just moments after their brief meeting? She soon found out that his selflessness wasn't an isolated incident either. Notably, Matthew and his mother traveled to Phoenix, Arizona one summer. When he spotted a homeless man sitting alone on the sidewalk, Matthew jumped out of the car on a busy street to hand him a bottle of water. It was so unfair, Jamie Lynn thought, for this young man's bright future to be cut short. At the very least, however, she pledged to make good on her final promise to Matthew. She would pay it forward. So Jamie Lynn went online and set up an organization called Matthew's Legacy. She asked all interested members to please do something extraordinary for a stranger, to honor Matthew's legacy and help restore faith in humanity. Jamie Lynn began sharing photos, like the one below, and stories of her family performing various acts of kindness. Soon the number of members of Matthew's Legacy climbed into the thousands, and then the tens of thousands.