85-Year-Old Widow Asked For Help Staying Warm. A Stranger Did So Much More

January 27, 2026

When an 85-year-old widow in North Carolina picked up the phone to call a local tree removal company, she wasn’t looking for a miracle — just firewood to stay warm.

Nana Abernathy / @paul_teambts

The woman, known as Nana Abernathy, explained that she was out of wood, had recently lost her husband, and didn’t have her Social Security check coming in until the following week. Unable to afford the cost, she was hoping someone might help.

That call reached Paul Brittain, owner of Brittain’s Tree and Crane Services — and what happened next went far beyond a simple delivery.

Brittain decided not to charge her a dime.

“We got a call from an 85-year-old lady. She’s out of firewood, she’s down on her luck, she lost her husband… little does she know, we ain’t gonna charge her.”

He dropped off the firewood, gave Abernathy a hug, and headed out.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

So he went back.

Over the following days, Brittain and his team fixed Abernathy’s leaking roof, repaired her heating unit, and even put brand-new tires on her car — all completely free.

Wanting to make sure she was truly taken care of, Brittain also set up a GoFundMe, sharing Abernathy’s story with the world.

The response was overwhelming. More than $20,000 was raised.

What started as a desperate call for firewood turned into a powerful reminder of what happens when compassion shows up at the right time.

Thanks to one man’s big heart — and thousands of others who followed his lead — Nana Abernathy is no longer facing the winter alone.

Source: Brittain’s Tree and Crane Services / GoFundMe