MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — Life has been especially hard for Chase Lombardi. The Tahoma High School senior has been struggling with friendships and school, feeling the pressure of applying to colleges and dealing with the recent deaths of family members.
His normally happy demeanor suddenly changed, and the secretaries in the attendance office couldn't help but notice.
Lombardi shared his struggles, and then things went from bad to worse.
"We're like, 'Whoa, no. What now?' And he told us how he'd gone to Fred Meyer to get a couple things for his mom, and he forgot his wallet in the car, and he ran back out real quickly," recalled secretary Kate Jensen.
That's when Lombardi said a man attacked him outside and accused him of shoplifting.
"And then he takes this Fred Meyer bag with a six-pack of mini Gatorade, and he windmills it and smashes my whole windshield," explained Lombardi.
The broken windshield was the latest blow to Lombardi's string of bad luck.
"Went home that night, and I just I couldn't sleep,” said Jensen. “I couldn't stop thinking about lovely Chase and his horrible luck. And then now this, right before the holiday season.”
That's when Jensen and fellow secretary Leilani McFadden-Fewkes came up with an idea to surprise Lombardi to lift his spirits.
Jensen donated money she would have given to charity this time of year, and McFadden-Fewkes shared the story on Facebook asking for donations from her friends.
In four hours, they were able to collect $375.
It was enough money to fix Lombardi's windshield and some extra for a gas gift card.
First, they called Foothills Auto Glass and paid for the service, and then called Lombardi to the office for the ultimate Christmas surprise.
Lombardi was stunned by the gesture of kindness.
“It's something like you would see on the news or something like that,” said Lombardi. “You see that stuff happen, but it doesn't really happen to you. It just proved to me that like good things come and you just have to stay positive through the struggles and that throughout the hard times, you just have to push through."
The act of generosity renewed hope in Lombardi at just the right time.
"He's such a great kid, and there's a lot of kids out here that just need that sense of like faith in humanity after the last couple years that they've had, especially for him," said McFadden-Fewkes.
The two secretaries believe kindness is the best gift to give this holiday season.
"I almost feel like we got the better end of the deal because my heart is so full now,” said Jensen. “It's just the best feeling in the world.”