Walmart Throws Surprise Baby Shower for Newborn & Family Left Homeless by Hurricane
Hurricanes bring devastation and destruction, and many families are left with nothing in the wake of the heavy winds, rain and floods.
Time magazine reported that Hurricane Michael, a category 4 storm, is the third most powerful hurricane to make landfall in the United States.
The Capps/Smith family is just one of the many families whose homes were damaged in Michael’s path. Sadly, the timing was extremely poor for Lorrainda Smith, who was ready to give birth any day.
Baby Luke’s first night was not spent in a warm home, but took place in the parking lot of a Walmart. According to The Associated Press, the family slept in their pickup truck — their only shelter.
“It really upset me, man,” the baby’s father, Wilmer Capps, told the AP. “This is not what I thought I’d be bringing him back to.”
Capps said that this particular Walmart had a reputation for allowing overnight parking. With bugs and heat at home, a seemingly sick baby, and a strict curfew in place, this family decided Walmart was their best option.
The parents were disheartened. They’d already been through so much. Their home was unsuitable, and shelters wouldn’t be sanitary enough for a newborn.
Smith had been turned away from the nearest hospital, Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center, twice. The first time when she tried to deliver baby Luke, and the second time when looking for a bed. She ended up delivering in Alabama, 80 miles from her home.
Fortunately, a kind security guard at Walmart helped Capps, Smith and Luke reserve a hotel room not too far away.
The kindness didn’t stop there. The AP also reported that a surprise baby shower was held for this family at the very same Walmart.
They thought they were returning to Walmart for a hurricane recovery meeting. What they found instead was all the love and kindness they’d been needing. “Walmart loves Luke,” the baby shower cake read.
The family was also given a year’s supply of diapers along with a voucher for food. “It was a real big surprise,” Smith told the AP. “We’re taking it day by day, minute by minute.”
‘Walmart loves Luke’: Retail chain holds surprise baby shower for infant born in wake of Hurricane Michael https://t.co/dafPnWnjS0 pic.twitter.com/EFJVj7fBvh
— Diversty News (@diverstynews) October 30, 2018
Nick Davis, a Walmart truck driver, said, “These people needed help. The baby needed to be cool. You could tell they were all three hot and tired and hungry. We offered everything we had.”
We’re so glad this family is receiving some support in the wake of all they’ve lost. If you’d like to help them get back on their feet and relocate, visit their GoFundMe page.
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