Contacting Melissa

Gerrell’s older brother messaged her on facebook, thanking her for shedding light on Gerrell’s actions and how their mother would be proud of him and how he is even more proud of himself. He said that Gerrell is an amazing father to his niece and an amazing guy in general. He thanked her for everything she had done for him and wished her well.

Shared Experiences

When Gerrell came to know about Mellisa’s brother, he was confounded. He was silent for a moment, at a total loss of words. He was amazed by how these shared experiences prove just how connected our communities can be. He was mourning for his mother, she was mourning for her brother and fate created this connection between them out of the blue. They had never met but they were both thankful for what they had done for each other.

Respect Everyone

Alan and Gerrell have never met in person or even spoken on the phone but they both felt that this experience was important to share in a day and age where headlines tend to lean towards negativity. They were both strangers yet they treated each other with the utmost respect for no reason other than their mutual belief of treating everyone nicely.

Spread Love

Now that his story is everywhere on social media, Gerrell hoped it will inspire people to engage with someone they come in contact with. We never know what people are dealing with in their personal lives. He believes a kind word goes a long way and wishes people are inspired to spread love. 

Role Model

Gerrell had always ensured to teach his daughter the right thing. So he decided to tell this story to her as well. He wanted to see her reaction. As he predicted her eyes lit up when she heard the whole story. She was happy that her dad is as caring as her because she is extremely caring about everyone and everything. Her parents taught her well. 

Teaching To Care

Gerrell was so proud of his daughter when she quickly summed up the reason behind him telling this story to her. She said, “You’re teaching me to care about other people”. He nearly teared up. His little girl was more smart and sensible than he had assumed.