HOUSTON – Cali Austin was excited to be at the Astros game Monday night at Minute Maid Park. Her mother, Candace Good, surprised her children with tickets knowing it was a special night because Astros fans would receive Astros championship replica rings.
The whole evening was built around a birthday celebration for Cali's younger brother Cash who turned 10.
Cali, Cash and other young guests who were there for the birthday party were beyond elated to wear their rings.
But Cali didn't realize her small fingers wouldn't hold the ring as she cheered by a rail.
"She was just clapping and it flew off," said Good.
Good said it was like everything turned into slow motion as the ring flung off her daughter's finger and landed somewhere around fans in levels below.
"We didn't see it ricochet or bounce," said Good.
Then the tears started to flow. Good says her daughter just cried into her shoulder, devastated. She told her there was nothing they could do about it.
"We both looked at each other then we looked over the railing to see if it hit anybody and it didn't. Because no one was looking up like they saw it or anything," Cali said.
That's when, out of the corner of Good's eye, she saw a man who was sitting near them point at her daughter.
Cali turned around with tears streaming down her face, and the man handed her a box containing another replica ring.
Good said Cali's tears of despair turned into tears of joy.
During the brief moment of high emotion, Good and her daughter thanked him, but the scope of his gesture grew stronger.
The generous man disappeared, and Good wishes she had gotten his name or could find him and give him more of a proper thank-you for the impact his kindness had on her daughter.
Good posted the picture of Cali in tears and wrote about the actions of the stranger, and the post has gone viral.
"I kinda thanked him afterward. I mouthed thank you. She turned to me and was crying on my shoulder still. She was so emotional," Good said. "There's still good people. Be kind. And be giving. Pay it forward."