Internet fulfills mom's wish to meet thoughtful stranger who shielded her son from a hockey puck hit

The internet has made our day on multiple occasions by bringing forth some of the most heartwarming stories from around the world. One such story of a kind-hearted stranger acting quickly to save a little boy's life during a hockey game is leaving people in awe. But there's more to it. When the boy's mom Asia Davis (@asiafromakron) took to TikTok and asked to help her find the man, she received a wholesome response. It all started when Davis and her son Nasir went to watch the Cleveland Monsters play at Rocket Mortgage Field House, Ohio on April 11.

Amid the fiery match, a hockey puck came flying right at the audience and particularly towards little Nasir. But before the boy could be hurt, a heroic stranger came to his rescue and shielded the boy from the puck. "If you know anything about a hockey puck, it is denser than a baseball," the mom said and she was still in disbelief as to what could've happened to her son if the puck had struck him. "This dude literally saved my son's life. He prevented a life-changing event from happening," she said.

Not only did the stranger save her son's life but throughout the game, he put up with the little boy's fussiness. Though the man could've moved to the empty seat next to him, he chose to patiently sit next to the cranky, sleepy boy. Failing to know the man's name and contact, the woman sought help from TikTok users because she "owed that man lunch or dinner."

TikTok worked its magic and within a day, the thoughtful stranger's identity was found. "Y'all made this happen. TikTok did his thing for real. Because that was less than 24 hours and we had Andrew on the line," Davis mentioned in a follow-up video. "That's our hockey puck hero named Andrew."

The morning after Davis had posted the first video, Andrew Leonard Podol (@podie33) messaged her saying, "Everything happens for a reason. I'm glad that little man was okay." Davis expressed her gratitude and offered to pay him to watch the next game. But that wasn't the end of their reunion. Cleveland Monsters connected with Davis and invited her, Nasir and Podol to the games. 

Davis pointed out how she had a great experience when she met Podol again during the game. "Andrew is so cool. He is so nice," she said. "After I had already found him, so many people have reached out because they had recognized him. Everyone who reached out had such nice things to say about him. Even one of his old teachers reached out and I think that really just speaks to his character and what type of guy he is." Podol was showered with a lot of love and support in the comments. "He is an angel on earth. Being from the area, this story is especially heartwarming to me," wrote @pattycake617. "God is good! And so is Andrew!" commented @raewinters1.

Since Davis said that she owed Podol dinner or lunch, the Cleveland Monsters tried to do something close. "It wasn't lunch, but we did help with a pretty cool experience," they wrote in their Facebook post and shared a video of Davis and Podol's reunion on Saturday's game. The team offered the opportunity for Davis and her son to do the ceremonial puck drop along with Podol. The three guests of honor graced the Rocket Mortgage Field House and little Nasir kick-started the game with his adorable puck drop. 

You can follow AsiaFromAkron (@asiafromakron) on TikTok for more wholesome content.