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An impromptu friendship between a Walmart employee and a customer led to a special holiday surprise.
Carman Kelly is an 82-year-old greeter at a Walmart store in Apache Junction, Arizona.
Carman enjoys her job at Walmart — especially meeting customers — even though it requires standing for hours at a time.
“The customers, they hug me,” Carman said. “And they make me feel like I’m so special to them.”
Although she didn’t have plans to stop working, recent medical bills — more than $6,000 in total — are requiring her to keep going.
Liz Rizzo met Carman during a recent shopping trip and the two got to know each other. When Liz heard Carman’s story, she took a video to try to help with her medical debt.
“I started filming, I wasn’t even thinking,” Liz told KPHO. “I just felt moved.”
The video eventually got millions of views on TikTok and donations started flooding into the fundraising page Liz set up for Carman.
By the end of the first day, Liz’s $10,000 goal was met. After four days, the fundraising page had more than $105,000.
“Oh my lord, I can’t believe this,” Carman said. “I’m like a millionaire.”
With the help Liz facilitated, Carman said she not only will be able to get rid of her hospital bills, but she won’t have to live alone anymore and worry about falling without help nearby.
“Thank the people that have done this for me,” she said. “I mean, it couldn’t come at a better time.”
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