Most of us have probably heard a horror story or two about awful neighbors before. In fact, there’s an entire subreddit dedicated to the awful things neighbors do to one another, and you could literally spend days scrolling through the stories, each one more horrifying than the next.
But every once in a while you stumble upon a good story about a neighbor, and it reminds you that there are still a lot of truly wonderful people out there. People like Heidi Widmer, a newly minted California resident who recently went viral after helping her neighbor with her recycling.
Widmer shared the details of what happened on her @omgitsheidiii Instagram page, admitting that she felt like a major a–hole after being annoyed with her noisy upstairs neighbor for the first few nights after she moved in. However, a few weeks later she finally met the woman (who she identified as Carole) and discovered the reason why she was making so much noise.
Now, the two ladies have become fast friends, and Carole even calls Widmer her granddaughter when talking about her with others.
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The Ladies Finally Met When Carole Dropped Her Recycling Outside Widmer’s Door
Widmer began her video on a regretful note, explaining how awful she felt about thinking the worst of her neighbor after suffering through a few sleepless nights due to the noise. “This poor lady can barely get down the stairs, and I’m wondering what the bowling ball sound is. That’s her walker,” she said in her Instagram video, explaining how when she finally met Carole she learned that the 86-year-old was dealing with Parkinson’s disease.
In another post, Widmer could be heard asking Carole offscreen (Carole has declined to be filmed, even in an Eyewitness News segment about the story) if she has any family, prompting Carole to admit she’s been living alone for many years. Apparently, she had moved to the U.S. from the U.K. in the 1960s for work as an au pair, and had been alone for several years.
Widmer Saw That Carole Needed Help, so She Stepped Up
It’s been hard for Carole, but Widmer intends to do everything she can to help her newfound friend out. “Her quality of life… is, it’s rough. It’s rough,” Widmer told the outlet. “And I asked her two days ago, I said, ‘My girl, what would have happened if I didn’t find you?’ And she just looked at me straight in the eye and said, ‘I would’ve struggled until somebody did.'”
Luckily for Carole, Widmer isn’t the only one who has found her. According to Eyewitness News, the 86-year-old is now getting plenty of help. Not only is Widmer assisting her with things like cooking and cleaning, but now the landlord has gotten involved and is updating her unit with some fresh carpet and new appliances, including an AC unit.
She’s also getting some extra financial help after Widmer set up a GoFundMe for the senior, which had raised over $60,000 as of Aug. 21.
Carole’s Story Really Resonates With People
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, almost 90,000 people are diagnosed with the condition each year, and it is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer’s is first).
The comments on Widmer’s post make it seem like a lot of people know at least one person with the condition, or else know someone like Carole who could use an extra hand around the house.
“My dad had Parkinson’s, and he had neighbors like you too,” one person posted in the comments on one of Widmer’s videos.
“I had a Carole in my life, named Charlotte,” another person wrote. “She was the best! We would take her everywhere with us. To the theater. The mall. All holidays were spent together. Never underestimate a great neighbor and dear friend.”
It sounds like Carole and Widmer may have found one another at the perfect times in their lives. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a long and wonderful friendship for these ladies.