Brice Royer's offer of unconditional love sparks chain of kindness
When Royer's doctor told him kindness is the best medicine, he took the advice to heart
A man's mission to spread love and happiness to everyone around him just keeps on growing.
When Brice Royer, 31, discovered he had stomach cancer, he took his doctor's advice to heart.
"I was selling unconditional love for zero dollars because my doctor said feeling loved and cared for is the world's best medicine," said Royer.
Royer posted an ad on Craigslist earlier this year offering kindness to strangers. In only three days, it got over a million views.
Francesca Murray was one of several people who responded to the ad. The single mother had one skill from which she thought Royer might benefit.
"I noticed that he needed somebody to cook," she said. "I'm a good cook, so I offered to cook for him."
But Royer refused her help. Instead, he offered to help her.
"I was really surprised when I found out later that she actually lives in a women's shelter with a four year old," said Royer.
In a surprise move, Royer arranged for a friend to make free weekly deliveries of organic produce to Murray, which she shares with six other women at the shelter she lives in.
Royer then discovered that Murray has to leave that shelter by February. So he and a friend decided to raise funds to buy her a self-sufficient, solar-powered, 300-square-foot house.
"We're looking for places like backyards, driveways or any communal spaces that a landlord would provide for us to park this tiny home," said Royer.
The online fundraising campaign aims to raise $5,000 for her short-term housing needs and $20,000 to buy the home. So far, the campaign has raised nearly $5,000 of the total $25,000 goal in just a few days.
Kindness begets more kindness
But the chain of kindness doesn't stop there. When Sharon Spruston found out about Murray's predicament, she offered to let her stay in her home over the holidays while she visits family out of town.
"I want to spend Christmas with my grandchildren, but I have a cat that needs looking after," said Spruston.
"I like to help people. It makes you feel so good and something about her and her daughter spoke to me."
If the funding comes through for Murray's new home, it should be ready for her to move into by March.
With files from Belle Puri