W15: Walmart Delivery Becomes Lifelong Connection
When a rare snowstorm hit Springdale, Arkansas, Brooke Kochel desperately needed portable heaters for her husband, Charles, who was undergoing chemotherapy. She placed a same-day Walmart Spark order, but when the delivery driver, Eduardo Garcia, got stuck in a ditch a mile away, he refused to give up. Determined to help, Eduardo braved the snow and carried the heaters on foot, leading to a heartfelt connection that went beyond a simple delivery. This short podcast episode provides a reminder that human kindness still shines, even in the coldest moments. Listen in to hear how one act of selflessness turned into an unbreakable bond.
Welcome to My Good Three Podcast: Good Stories For A Better Week
Click here for a list of Episodes.
(FULL TRANSCRIPT OF EPISODE BELOW)
Listen To Full Episode:
Or, Listen Where You Get Your Podcasts:
Read the transcript for the full episode:
W15: WALMART DELIVERY BECOMES LIFELONG CONNECTION
EVERY NIGHT OUR NINE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER PRACTICES READING. WHAT STARTED OUT TO BE A CHORE HAS TURNED INTO SOMETHING SHE REALLY ENJOYS. AND, BEING A VERY COMPASSIONATE KID, WITH FRIENDSHIPS MEANING A LOT TO HER, THE FROG AND TOAD BOOKS ARE SOME OF HER FAVORITES. FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN’T KNOW FROG AND TOAD, THE CHILDREN’S BOOKS ARE A COMPILATION OF SHORT STORIES THAT SHOW SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS TWO FRIENDS DO FOR ONE ANOTHER IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY. THE BOOKS ALWAYS PUT A SMILE ON MY DAUGHTER’S FACE, AND IT’S CLEAR THAT SHE TRULY VALUES HER CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE.
ABOUT TEN DAYS AGO, DURING THE SNOWSTORM THAT BLANKETED THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES WITH A RARE SNOWFALL, A WALMART SPARK DELIVERY DRIVER CRASHED HIS VAN WHILE MAKING A SAME-DAY DELIVERY. STUCK IN A DITCH AND OUT OF OPTIONS, HE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE PERSON WAITING ON THEIR PACKAGE.
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT HOW PEOPLE ACT IN TIMES OF CRISIS, AND IN THIS CASE, IT’S A REFRESHING LOOK AT SOMEONE WHO VALUES CONNECTION MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
EPISODE
BROOKE KOCHEL WAITED PATIENTLY AT HER HOME IN SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS WITH HER HUSBAND, CHARLES. THE HEAT IN THEIR HOME HAD STOPPED WORKING, CERTAINLY RELATED TO THE RARE SNOWSTORM THAT HAD BLOWN THROUGH THE SOUTH AND DISRUPTED LIFE FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FROM TEXAS TO THE EAST COAST. LOSING THEIR HEAT WAS A BIGGER DEAL FOR THEM THAN MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE, UNFORTUNATELY, CHARLES IS IN A BATTLE WITH COLON CANCER, AND HE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENTS.
BEING A NURSE WHO TREATS CANCER PATIENTS, BROOKE KNEW THAT THE COLD CAN MAKE CHEMO PATIENTS EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE, SO AS SOON AS THEY LOST POWER, SHE SCRAMBLED TO WALMART.COM AND PLACED A SAME-DAY DELIVERY ORDER FOR PORTABLE HEATERS. LUCKILY, SHE FOUND SOME THAT COULD BE DELIVERED TO THEIR HOME THAT DAY BY THE WALMART SPARK DELIVERY SERVICE.
AS BROOKE AND CHARLES SAT IN THE COLD, SHE TRACKED THE DELIVERY ON HER PHONE. THE APP SHOWED THE DELIVERY WAS ONLY TWO MINUTES AWAY. SHE REFRESHED THE SCREEN. STILL TWO MINUTES AWAY. A FEW MORE MINUTES PASSED. SHE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW - NO DELIVERY VAN. SHE REFRESHED AGAIN. TWO MINUTES.
WHAT WAS GOING ON?
AFTER THIRTY MINUTES OF WAITING, SHE CALLED THE NUMBER ON THE SCREEN AND MANAGED TO CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH THE DELIVERY DRIVER.
SHE IMMEDIATELY ASKED HIM IF HE WAS LOST.
THE DRIVER INTRODUCED HIMSELF AS EDUARDO AND LET BROOKE KNOW THAT, NO, HE WASN’T LOST, HE WAS ACTUALLY STUCK IN A DITCH.
EDUARDO’S VAN HAD SLID OFF THE SNOWY ROAD AND GOTTEN STUCK MORE THAN A MILE AWAY FROM THEIR HOUSE. HE INFORMED HER THAT HE WASN’T GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT.
THEY TALKED A BIT MORE, AND SHE SHARED THE SITUATION SHE AND CHARLES WERE DEALING WITH.
ONCE HE REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DELIVERY, HE TOLD HER THAT NO MATTER WHAT, HE WAS GETTING HER THE HEATERS. SHE TRIED TO TELL HIM HE DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT HE WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE THE DELIVERY.
EDUARDO GARCIA BUNDLED UP AND MARCHED THROUGH THE SNOW, CARRYING THE PORTABLE HEATERS ON FOOT AND EVENTUALLY MET BROOK PARTWAY - TOGETHER, THEY GOT THE HEATERS TO THE HOUSE.
DISTRACTED BY THE NEED TO SET UP THE HEATERS, BROOKE FORGOT TO ASK EDUARDO FOR HIS FULL NAME, SO LATER THAT DAY SHE WENT BACK TO THE WALMART APP TO SEE IF SHE COULD AT LEAST LEAVE HIM A TIP TO THANK HIM.
ONCE SHE SAW THERE WAS NO WAY TO DO THAT, KNOWING ONLY HIS FIRST NAME, SHE TOOK TO FACEBOOK, BUT STRUGGLED TO FIND HIM WITHOUT HIS FULL NAME. EVENTUALLY, SHE MADE A HEARTFELT VIDEO TELLING HER STORY, AND WITH THE HELP OF HER FRIENDS SHARING IT IN GROUPS FROM THE SPRINGDALE AREA, THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK EDUARDO DOWN WITHIN 24 HOURS.
WHEN THE TWO FINALLY GOT IN TOUCH, EDUARDO REFUSED TO ACCEPT A TIP, EVEN AFTER OTHERS ON FACEBOOK TRIED TO PAY HIM. BROOK INSISTED, SO FINALLY, HE MADE HER AN OFFER. HE SAID IF SHE WAS GOING TO DO THAT, WHAT HE WOULD ASK FOR IN RETURN WAS THAT THEIR FAMILIES MEET AND GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER. EDUARDO SAID, “I’D LIKE TO STAY FRIENDS SO THAT WE CAN WALK THROUGH THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU.”
THESE DAYS THINGS LIKE WEALTH ARE OFTEN PLACED HIGHER IN IMPORTANCE THAN THE HEALTH OF OUR HUMAN CONNECTIONS. WE SEE PEOPLE MORE THAN WILLING TO SEVER ALL REAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THEIR LIVES IN ORDER TO REACH THEIR FINANCIAL GOALS.
I LIKE TO THINK THIS IS JUST NOISE. AS THE SAYING GOES, MISERY LOVES COMPANY, AND PEOPLE ARE VERY LOUD LOOKING FOR SUPPORT WHEN THEY KNOW THEY’RE MAKING MISERABLE DECISIONS.
THE TRUTH IS THAT OUR WORLD IS FILLED WITH PEOPLE LIKE EDUARDO – AND THEY’RE CERTAINLY LESS LOUD. MUCH LIKE FROG AND TOAD, THEY VALUE THEIR RELATIONSHIPS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, AND THEY’RE WILLING TO WALK JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE, CARRYING WHATEVER IS NECCESSARY, TO FIND ANOTHER CONNECTION.