Meet Billy Ray Harris. A homeless man who returned a $4,000 diamond engagement ring to Sarah Darling, has bought a house for himself after citizens raised money online and who were touched by his hear-warming gesture.
The online page was set-up after Mr. Harris returned the engagement ring to Sarah, who had accidentally dropped her ring in his coin cup earlier this year in a Missouri town.
Sarah’s husband, Bill Krejci, was also touched by Mr. Harris’s gesture he set-up an online donation page as a token of appreciation for his honesty. It could have been easy for Mr. Harris to sell a valuable piece of jewelry.
An astounding $180,000 was raised online in just three months, and netizens have since then described Mr. Harris as ‘a great man who could use some help.’
Mr. Harris has since then bought a house, a car, and has landed a part-time job.
He was also reunited with his estranged family, who thought all these years that he has already passed.
After 16 years, Mr. Harris has reunited with his family members, when his heart-warming deed made headlines around the world.
Much to his surprise, his brothers and sisters, whom he hasn’t seen for a long time, appeared during his television interview with Mr. Krejci and Ms. Darling.
The family who traveled all the way from their home in Texas never heard from Mr. Harris for over a decade, so they assumed he had passed.
Since then, Mr. Harris has been in contact now with his estranged brothers and sisters and got to meet nephews and nieces he never knew before.
He told TODAY: ‘When I think of the past, I think, thank God that it’s over. I feel human now.’
Mr. Harris is very grateful for the way some citizens have helped him get his life back on track. “This is what we call ‘The American Dream’!” ~ Mr. Harris said.
‘I want to thank all the people that helped me out. I want them to see where all their efforts, blessings, and kindness is going.’
Mr. Harris regularly goes to hockey games with Mr. Krejci. He has become lifelong friends with the couple since he returned the ring in March.
The couple hopes to introduce their 20-month-old daughter to Mr. Harris someday to show her ‘the difference between what’s right and wrong.’
Sarah Darling is happy she was able to play a part in helping Mr. Harris turn his life around. Speaking to TODAY, she said: ‘A lot of people came together to change this person’s life when he is someone who really deserves that, blessings and kindness are going.’
A homeless man used to beg on a Kansas Street corner, but now he’s living on his own new home after citizens raise $180,000 for him to have a new life and get back on track.
