Randa Ragland is a mom from Pinson, Alabama who takes good care of her family. One day she went to her mailbox and discovered someone had put a nasty letter inside about the condition of her yard.
The note was shocking to Randa and made her angry at first. That’s because the anonymous person had no clue what struggles she and her family had been dealing with.
We learn as children, “if you don’t have anything nice to say – don’t say anything at all.” Unfortunately, there are many adults that could use a reteach of this lesson.
The letter left in Randa’s mailbox didn’t have a name on it or a return address. It read:
“Neighbor – Please take pride and straighten up the exterior of your house. Your eyesore is affecting the resale value of our homes. Who wants to buy a house near you and look at that daily?”
They continued:
“It does not take that much effort. All you have to do is give a [expletive]! Do better!!!”
Randa was understandably upset about the judgmental words. However, she had bigger things to worry about at home.
What the note writer didn’t realize was that Randa had been spending a lot of time caring for her five kids – in particular, her three-year-old Jaxen.
She explained to CBS 42 in an interview:
“He’s autistic and he’s non-verbal. But, a few days before his third birthday is when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma stage four.”
During his short life, Jaxen had already spent time in the hospital more than 20 times and had multiple surgeries. It’s hard to imagine as a mother what Randa had been going through.
In the hopes of encouraging neighbors to be kind and empathetic towards one another, Randa decided to share the note on social media – along with their story.
“My whole point was to show people you don’t know what somebody’s going through. Kindness goes such a long way. Gratitude goes such a long way.”
That one decision led to a major outcome. Strangers who read the post started banding together to help Randa and her family in many ways.
A lawn company donated their grass-cutting service, volunteers helped perform yard work, and others picked up supplies for the entire Ragland household. No one knew the Raglands, it was all done out of the goodness of their hearts.
For one of the volunteers, Joey Harding, the event touched him in a very personal way. He had lost his 6-year-old daughter, LuLu, from the same diagnosis just two weeks prior.
The grieving father told CBS 42:
“Words can’t describe what this means to me right now. It’s helping me. It’s helping me cope with losing my daughter. To help another family in need.”
On top of helping the Raglands get their property in shape, the volunteers have decided not to leave their side. They are calling themselves, “Jaxen’s Army for Justice” and are committed to offering their assistance.
Randa and her family couldn’t be more appreciative of all the love and support.
It’s a story that started out sour, but ended with a community coming together to lend a helping hand.
Watch the CBS news report below to see more!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
