A San Antonio grandmother's efforts to care for her five grandchildren after their mother's sudden death were uplifted by the kindness of a stranger. Vickie Estrada was thrust into the role of a primary caregiver when her daughter-in-law, Ellie Casillas, died at 25 due to medical complications, leaving Estrada's son, Joey McCumber, to single-handedly provide for his children while coping with his grief. While recounting the experience to Fox News at Nine, Estrada said, "Sometimes they cry still. They remember a lot of memories about their mom,"
The family's struggle, however, began to ease when Teresa Martinez, a 69-year-old community advocate, learned about their predicament through social media and offered assistance that persisted for nearly two years."Then boom. Teresa to me was like, like a big piece of angelic-like to me, angelic-like, here's God giving you a nice lady that's willing to help you," Estrada expressed in a statement obtained by Fox San Antonio. Martinez's contributions included school supplies, clothing, and holiday gifts for the children, which provided significant relief to the family during a tumultuous time.
Martinez's motivation to help is rooted in her own past experiences, where once, she was also on the receiving end of generosity. "I lost my dad when I was 15 in 1970-71. And we were seven, my mom, single mom, you know, seven of us, and Salvation Army helped us out. And I believe in sharing. Caring, sharing, or sharing is caring," Martinez told Fox News at Nine.
In honor of her selfless work, Martinez was surprised on-air with a "Cash for Kindness" reward by Fox SA's Ryan Wolf. She was presented with $500 and an additional $1,000 from the program's sponsors, Veteran Air, as a token of appreciation for the positive impact she's made. "If you can help even a little bit. You know, it goes a long way. It's, you know, we can all do it together little by little and go a long way," Martinez remarked after the emotional surprise. Estrada affirmed her gratitude to Martinez, claiming she was like “our guardian angelic-like. Besides her mom, you came into my life and in our life where we needed help the most."
