After suffering a stroke several months ago, Paola Buendia's life was suddenly turned upside down. Buendia said everything was normal, and she was the most active person you can imagine. That all changed five months ago when she suffered a stroke, paralyzing the left side of her body.
She said she went from a healthy, happy, and active 42-year-old mother to three kids to being in the hospital. She lost not only her income but also her independence due to her stroke. Buendia said it changed her life and was like a new life from one moment to another.
Buendia was seen recently by a neighbor walking the mile or so to pick up her children from Winter Springs High School. It is an everyday task that now takes an hour to complete. The neighbor saw Buendia's difficulties and offered to help her.
Paola Buendia calls her neighbor Taber Caro an angel
Taber Caro said she knew she could do something. She did not know what that would be, but there was something that she had to do to try to make things easier for her sick neighbor. She offered Buendia and her children a ride home that day, but she wanted to do more for them.
Caro contacted the community in Florida and posted in several online groups to see if anyone had a scooter they would want to donate or sell. She found one scooter for $400 and decided to buy it. She delivered it to Buendia the following day, much to her delight.
Buendia told Fox35 Orlando that Taber is her angel, a title that Caro said she does not deserve. She said that it should be human instead. Caro added that she does not think it is heroic or worthy of a gold star. She believes it is being a decent human, and she would have no purpose if she were not looking around and thinking of how to do something for someone.
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Other residents offered Buendia free physical therapy lessons
In addition to the scooter Caro gave to Buendia, other residents reportedly offered the sick mom free physical therapy lessons and rides wherever she needed to go. She created an online fundraiser to help cover the cost of Buendia's scooter, and within hours, they managed to double their goal, raising over $900 in funds.
Caro said that the response was heartwarming and hoped others continue to look for ways to help others. She added that you don't have to be rich to do it, and you don't have to have tons of spare time. Caro said the tiny gestures snowball into huge life-changing events.
Lina Arbelaez also organized a fundraiser for Paola Buendia, with the GoFundMe page raising $3,195 in funds.
