Alabama farmer secretly paid peoples’ pharmacy bills for over 10 years— Hero we needed
This farmer in Alabama, Hody Childress, was a truly good person who went above and beyond to help others.
Every month for over a decade, he would anonymously deliver cash to his local pharmacy to assist those in need. Although he has passed away, his legacy lives on as strangers have taken it upon themselves to continue his act of kindness.
Hody was a man of many talents and accomplishments, including serving in the Air Force, working as a product manager at Lockheed Martin, and being a farmer in Geraldine, Alabama. Despite all of this, he remained humble and dedicated to helping others.
Geraldine is a small town with only 910 residents, located about 60 miles from Huntsville. People in this town know each other well, but Hody kept a big secret from everyone. For ten years, he secretly paid for the medical bills and medicines of many townspeople who couldn’t afford them.
In 2012, Hody walked into Geraldine Drugs and asked to see the owner, Brooke Walker. He gave her a $100 bill and started his generous giving. “This $100 is for anyone who can’t afford their prescription,” he told her, according to Birmingham’s WVTM13, which broke the story. “Do not tell a soul that the money came from me. Tell them it’s a blessing from God.”
Mr. Childress was a very kind man who donated $100 every month for 10 years. He only had a small pension and Social Security as his income, but he still gave a lot of money to help others. According to a news article, he helped two people each month by paying for their medicine, including EpiPens. He asked the employees not to use his money for pain pills.
Hody had a tough childhood. He grew up in poverty and didn’t have electricity in his home until he was seven years old. He also lost his grandfather and son in a tornado and his first wife died from multiple sclerosis.
Last December, Mr. Childress became very sick from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and told his daughter Tania Nix about his secret donations.
“He was always a great man and a great father,” Nix says. “But I found out that he was more amazing than I ever knew.” It was at her father’s funeral on January 5 that Nix revealed his secret.
But the passing of Childress who visited Geraldine Drugs every month has not slowed down the support for the pharmacy’s less fortunate customers. People from all over have been giving donations in honor of this man. To ensure the donations are used properly, Geraldine Drugs has established the Hody Childress Fund in memory of him.
If you would like to donate, simply send a check addressed to the Hody Childress Fund to the following address: Geraldine Drugs P.O. Box 158 Geraldine, AL 35974
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