Stranded woman was wary when a stranger approached her, unaware that his actions would stay with her forever

How beautiful it is to have a stranger help you when you are too scared to ask but are in dire need! There is something utterly intimate and sweet about a person who has nothing to do with you, but who goes out of their way to help and make you feel safe around them. We live in an era where humanity is gradually becoming a concept of yesteryear, but some people would do anything to help you feel safe without any exchange. Makayla Brooke — who goes by the username @balletblondie — uploaded a video on her TikTok account where she is seen fixing her broken car with the help of a kind stranger.

The video begins with Makayla taping the bumper of her car with duct tape. She tries to fix the broken part of the car well enough to be able to make it home without any hindrance. “This is already f****d up. I‘m about to start crying,” she says to the camera. That is when a random man nearby asks her if she needs help. Her tone shows slight reluctance due to her traumatic past — given that she's a survivor of assault — but she doesn’t resist much as she realizes the car immensely needs help. She smiles and politely says, “I think I got it. I just taped it back.”

The man proceeds to help her anyway, seeing her in the mess. Mak smiles brightly and explains the situation to the kind man, and they proceed to fix her car. She says, “It was hanging down on the floor, and I live an hour away.” The man suggests, “Well, you know, I could get some duct tape across here a bunch of times and might help keep it.” Mak replies, “Yeah, I don’t care what it looks like… As long as it goes, because I’m saving up for a Bronco… And I am not going to put money into this car.”

To make her feel safe, the man mentions how his daughter also recently bought a Bronco. When asked what colour it was, he replies after wondering a little, “pistachio.” Mak shares that she wants “the baby blue one with red seats.” She mentions how most people may be embarrassed by how it would look, but she only cares that it works and drives well enough, because “once I’m whipping around that Bronco, I am not going to care,” she adds. He supports her statement by emphasizing that it will make her happy.

They go back to temporarily fixing Mak’s car by systematically pasting the duct tape where the bumper needs support, and their teamwork pays off. The man says, “Oh, there you go, you get a hundred thousand miles out of it.” Mak thanks the man for his selfless attitude by giving him a high five and says, “You give me hope in humanity.” The caption of the video reads, “As an SA survivor, little moments like these mean so much to me. I was quick to turn down the help because he was a man, but he knew deep down I needed help. This was a good reminder to me that they aren’t all bad. Thank you, kind stranger.”

According to research by Claire Burke Draucker and others, “Individuals who perceive others as being helpful following sexual violence experience more positive life changes and less psychological distress. Negative social reactions to disclosures of sexual violence, such as disbelief or blame, however, have deleterious effects on recovery.” This ensures that sexual assault survivors can heal better when exposed to kindness, which can help change their perception of people and rewire their systems.

After watching the video, the man in the video, named Steve Plant, going by the username @molokaisrp commented, “Hey you, that's me helping you.” @cinnnamonnn highlighted, “The fact that he mentioned his daughter to make you feel safe, then showed how engaged he is with his own daughter, that he knew the exact shade of Bronco she got… not even green... ‘pistachio.’” @harley31313 exclaimed, “He knew exactly how to make you feel at ease. Mentioning his daughter, her interests, and connecting with her. Girl dad win!”

You can follow Makayla Brooke (@balletblondie) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.