Determined to pay the community back for the support they offered the family during this traumatic time, Richard and Samantha, Rees' heartbroken parents, set up a foundation which encourages random acts of kindness and supports the endeavours by supplying Pay it Forward cards.
Explaining the motivation behind the idea, Samantha said: "People were so kind to us when we lost him, and they wouldn’t take any money from us. Rees always wanted to make everybody happy, so we wanted to do that for others.”
Despite its popularity, Richard didn't realise the impact the foundation had had on people until the science teacher received an email from a random stranger in recent days.
By explaining that Richard's son's memory had resulted in him receiving an incredibly generous gift from a former student of Richard's, the anonymous individual confirmed for the grief stricken father that he and his wife had done the right thing in establishing the foundation in honour of their little boy.
Opening up about the correspondence he received, Richard said: "My mouth sat agape as I stared at a picture attached to the email that showed a restaurant receipt with a $3,000.00 tip on it."
In a note addressed to a restaurant staff member, Richard's former student paid tribute to Rees, saying: "My teacher in middle school had such a difficult experience a few years ago which has sparked me to do this. My only requirements are: 1) Go to ReesSpechtLife.com and learn! 2) Don’t let ‘Pay it forward’ end with you. 3) Since it’s about the idea and not about you, or me, if you decide to share this, don’t use either of our names!"
Aghast that someone would honour his little boy in such a touching way, Richard said: "What I received last night was affirmation that I made a difference in that young man’s life, and in return he honoured my little boy with a gesture that is almost unfathomable. That is all any of us really ever wants, isn’t it? To know that we made a difference in this world."
What a truly heartwarming story!
