When a US soldier saw a kid selling cookies, he recalled his childhood struggles — he knew he had to help

Making someone feel special is a heavenly act, especially when they are in dire need of help. An army trooper recently extended his courtesy toward a boy selling cookies outside his grandmother’s house. The soldier’s wife and a registered dental hygienist, Dani Lane—who goes by @danilane on TikTok—captured the heartwarming moment as her husband purchased a box of cookies in exchange for $20. The “God-loving couple” later started an online fundraiser for the young entrepreneur, empowering him to make ends meet for his family.

In a widely circulating video on social media, a trooper can be seen stepping out of his car and walking toward a teen selling cookies by the roadside. It showed that the army man was moved by the young boy, who decided to help him in the most wholesome way. Bringing context to the entire incident, Dani explained via the text overlay on the footage, stating, “My husband came home from work and said, ‘I need to go get cash. There’s a kid with a table selling cookies.’”

She added that her husband faced similar struggles during his formidable years, growing up as a teenager. “I remember when I was his age, nobody stopped. I’m gonna give him $20,” he told Dani. The soldier approached the young entrepreneur and they both started discussing the cookies. Furthermore, the young boy began packing some of them with gloves on his hands, maintaining good hygiene.

After selling the cookies, the founder of Jaztin’s Bangin’ Baked Goods was happy to have cracked a deal worth $20. He ran fast into the house in full excitement, probably to share the news with his loved ones. The 34-second clip has managed to garner around 8.4 million views, including thousands of comments and likes. Among them, @jessica.levitt wrote, “He had the gloves on to keep it sanitary. The kid is smart and so excited.” “He was so proud to show his momma a nice man gave him $20 for a couple of cookies,” @jessicabrooks2023 added. @honkytonkinsav emphasized, “I remember someone did this with me when I did a lemonade stand in elementary school. Asked me if I could make them a gallon, brought me the jug, and gave me a $20, and it was such a special moment.”

After gaining attention online, the couple made a follow-up video launching a public donations campaign for the boy by opening a Venmo fund. “I'm literally gonna cry. We've gotten almost $1,600,” announced Dani, standing in front of a bank. The dental hygienist, despite attempting multiple times, could only withdraw around $1,400 from the ATM. However, this did not stop her determination to surprise the boy with the money she had raised.

The couple went back to their makeshift cookie shop to hand over the donations. Thanking the donors, Dani’s husband said, “I would have loved for somebody to do that for me when I was a kid, so I think this is going to be pretty insane for him.” When the boy’s sister was informed about the viral video, she expressed: “Oh my God! I'm gonna cry. I remember he was so excited when he said there was a man in a uniform (who paid $20 for cookies). “I'm sorry! I just don't understand. Oh my God! It's been such a rough month, so I'm gonna cry,” the elder sister added.

You can follow Dani Lane (@danilane) on TikTok for more wholesome and lifestyle content.