Although at this point Chris was unaware of the woman’s specific situation, he still couldn’t bear the thought of not finding a way to help her. Chris spoke to his wife Carmen and told her he had to go back and try to help this woman somehow.
“Do you know when you have the desire and the urge to do good?” His wife told CBS News. “He grew up like that. He’s kind and generous to everyone. He’s never hit on anyone before, but he feels obligated.”
To her relief, Chris discovered Tondi near where he had seen her on his last trip and was able to stop and give her a hand. Chris filled TunDe’s tank with gas and even gave him all the money he had in his wallet. After the meeting, he didn’t think much about the event until three years later, when fate brought them together under unique circumstances.
In 2017, Chris’ mother Judy was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Parkinson’s disease. The Wright family had to hire a home helper to help care for Judy, which was very intense at the time. Unbeknownst to them, TunDe was one of the nurses Chris had hired to care for his sick mother. Since Chris had never inquired about the name of the woman he was helping three years earlier, he had no idea that this nursing assistant had been the same since 2014.
“I cared for her with the utmost respect,” Carmen said, “she respected human life to the fullest.”
Tondi, Jody and her husband Phil became close during these difficult times. Tondi spoke to the couple about their dreams of going to nursing school and the financial burden that came with it.
Jodi and Phil were very fond of TunDe and decided to introduce her to their family, including Chris and Carmen. Tondi decided to share with the family the story of the man who helped her when she got stuck in the rain three years ago. To everyone’s surprise, Wright turned around to tell TunDe that person was none other than himself.
“The showdown they were blessed with three years ago is over,” Carmen told CBS. “We don’t believe in chance. We are a religious family.”
Chris and Tondi stayed in close contact after their realization. Sadly, shortly after being brought together by fate, Jodi passed away from her chronic illness. The story of empathy and not-self does not end there. The Wright family asked guests at Judy’s reception to donate money to TunDe’s outstanding student loans in lieu of traditional flower arrangements.
