Seven years ago, in 2008, a college student named Joey Romano was finishing his senior year at the University of Texas at Austin, but he was also struggling with grief over the loss of his 10-year-old brother Johnny to leukemia. Perhaps it was his grief or distraction, but because Romano was skateboarding near campus, he had to swerve to avoid a car and ended up eating dirt in a ditch. Romano immediately realized that he had broken his wrist, and since he did not have adequate insurance, he decided to call a driver instead of an ambulance.
Choices that change us is the theme of this week's Good Friday.
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Romano's Uber driver, Benny Lukumu, arrived on the scene to find Romano lying down. on the ground.
Lukumu carefully helped him into the car, reclining the passenger seat to minimize movement and pain. Their first stop was the emergency room, but Romano's injury was too severe and he was quickly sent to the emergency room.
Lukumu did not pay the fare and could have easily left Romano in the emergency room to call an ambulance to take him to the emergency room. Instead, Lukumu insisted on being taken to hospital free of charge. When he learned that Romano had no relatives nearby who could be with him, Lukumu insisted on staying.
Lucumu insisted that Romano be taken to the hospital free of charge. He then learned that Romano had no family nearby to come to his aid. Lukumu immigrated to the United States from Congo at age 25 and knew what it was like to be away from loved ones.
With a busy day of travel ahead of him, Lukumu looked at his young passenger, alone and in excruciating pain.
“For me it’s not even a question,” Lucumu, who now works in the insurance industry, tells TODAY. “I lived with Joey. He needed someone next to him.”
Lukumu immediately took control, making sure Romano was logged in and then sitting with him for over six hours to make sure he was taken care of.
Romano's grandmother, who lives in Houston, arrived at the hospital around the time he was being released. She offered Lukum a fee, which he politely declined, although he agreed to join them for dinner, a gesture that cemented a friendship that lasted over seven years.
And Lucumu's deep compassion overcame Romano's grief and pain over the death of his brother.
“After I lost my brother… and experienced so much loss… I just became very withdrawn. I could barely take care of myself, let alone others.” [Romano] speaks. “I just shut down and shut down. I felt very cold.”
Romano's voice becomes more emotional as he remembers how Lukumu pulled him out of that dark, isolated place. The meeting with Lukumu, he says, was a turning point. This is what drives him to look for ways to help others whenever he can.
“This act of kindness helped me see the good in the world again,” Romano says. “Having him spend the entire day with me, a complete stranger, out of the goodness of his heart, helped me put things in perspective. Benny has completely changed my life.”
Besides being a star man, Benny Lukumu is a devout Christian who sings gospel music and serves in his community in addition to his full-time job as an insurance consultant. After covering too many stories about illegal immigrant scammers, it's nice to see legal immigrants who love and appreciate this country and are looking for ways to pay it forward and give back, not just what they can take.
Read more: Doing Jobs Americans Won't Do: Operation Midway Blitz Reveals Illinois Cop Is an Illegal Alien
Lukumu felt it was important to share his story to highlight the importance of connection and how a simple act of kindness can change people's lives and futures.
“The world is so divided right now,” Lukumu said. “We need love and kindness.”
What about Joey Romano? He completed his degree and works as a renewable energy developer. He and Lukumu keep in touch, checking in with each other from time to time.
Editor's note: Schumer's completion is here. Instead of putting the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the Radical Democrats forced the government to shut down health care to illegal immigrants. They own it.
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