Life
Man At Planet Fitness Helps Man With Special Needs At Gym
Not many people would have reacted to being "pestered" at the gym like this.
Ashley Fike
08.17.17

The simple acts of being kind and compassionate can cause a ripple effect of positivity that can change lives. One act of kindness is all it takes to brighten someone’s entire day.

One man in Pascagoula, Mississippi saw compassion and kindness from one man that was so admirable, he had to share it on Facebook.

Ricky Derouen is a firefighter in the Pascagoula area and was working out at Planet Fitness as he normally does. He was going about his routine when he noticed something in the distance that caught his attention.

A very fit man in a bright orange shirt was working out as well; he was obviously very muscular and in shape. A young man with Down’s Syndrome approached the man with the orange shirt in admiration.

For over 45 minutes, the man was approached by the special needs boy over 10 times. He was asking for handshakes, advice, hugs, and questions.

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Facebook

Ricky could tell that the young man was a bit infatuated with the dedication and fitness level of the man in the orange shirt. Many people in his position would have tried to ignore the young man, or walk away.

Not this admirable gentleman. He was in no way, shape, or form interrupted by the chatty young man.

The man in the orange shirt chatted with the young man. He gave him workout tips, and they joked back and forth. Not once showing any signs of being annoyed or bothered.

Ricky was in awe of the man’s patience, openness, and friendliness. He couldn’t help but admire the man in the orange shirt.

Facebook
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Facebook

As the young man walked by Ricky, he approached him, pointed to the man, and exclaimed: “that’s my friend!” It was so touching to witness.

Ricky tried to sneak a few pictures of the interaction without feeling like he was being too creepy. He just had to share the interaction that he witnessed on Facebook. And when he did? People loved it.

Ricky’s post immediately went viral. It’s been shared almost 50,000 times and liked over 170,000 times. People fell in love with this man in the orange shirt.

The post went so viral that the man in the orange was identified — his name is David Samuel. Ricky hopes that his Facebook post inspires others to spread a little kindness.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

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