On September 2, 2017, Deanna Feist married the love of her life in Plant City, Florida.
Just about a week later, Hurricane Irma swept across the state and left a trail of devastation in its wake. The newlyweds decided they wanted no part in sticking around for the damage, and so left their home in Brandon, Florida and hit the road when forecasters first began to warn of Irma’s coming.
The couple fleeing Hurricane Irma left their home in Brandon, Florida just in time. The pair headed to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee for their honeymoon, and wound up extending their stay.
Deanna and her husband ended up in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, only to suffer the misfortune of having their vehicle break down. On their way, they decided to stop by The Old Mill restaurant for lunch, but as they were driving into the parking lot, the lights on their car’s dashboard lit up. The airbag lights, the tire pressure lights; it was the couples’ worst nightmare.
“All the lights in our dash came on, from airbags to tire pressure. After we shut the car off, it wouldn’t turn on again,” Deanna explained.
Deanna’s husband shut off the engine, but the vehicle wouldn’t start again. They asked a man in the vehicle beside them to help jump-start their vehicle and he “happily” agreed.
The restaurant’s longtime manager Mo Tamaddoni had been watching them through the couple’s predicament through the window, and knew he had to something to make their trip special!
After getting down their names, the couple was seated quickly and ate their meal knowing there was an urgent issue they need to sort it out . But when they were ready to pay their bill, the waitress instead placed a strange envelope on their table.
Deanna would later write on Facebook: “(She) said it was from the manager, and that our meals were on the house. Inside was a voucher for free meals, $200 cash and a letter.”
They couldn’t believe their eyes. Inside the envelope was a voucher for free meals at the restaurant, $200 and a letter.
The letter itself read: “You are probably here to escape the Hurricane Irma. My brother lives in Tallahassee, Florida. I am saddened to see such devastation in this beautiful state. I hope everything will turn out okay for you guys. Enclosed please accept my gift to you in case you need to buy a battery for your car. Also, I am enclosing a meal ticket so you can come back to eat here. Good luck and thanks for visiting my restaurant.”
Deanna and her husband were left completely stunned, they were thinking how a stranger, so far from home, could possibly do such a thing for them. She felt obliged to share her story on Facebook and let everyone know that such kindness still exists in the world.
“This act of selflessness and generosity has touched my heart … I promise I will pay it forward! This man is a Godsend!”
What an incredible thing Mo did, he deserves tribute!
Whenever you’re ready to despair with the world and the selfish people in it, remember that there are many good souls remaining.
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