The spirit of giving and kindness is always a story that brings joy to someone’s heart, but for one mother and her four-year-old son, this spirit of giving was embodied in a real-life miracle.
Amber Johnston and her son, Anthony Romeo, were facing the prospect of homelessness as the holiday season approached. With her son’s father no longer in the picture, Amber was struggling to make ends meet and could not afford a place to stay.
“When what happened- happened to us, his father leaving, it completely devastated us, and I did not know where to turn,” Johnston said.
But then, a good Samaritan stepped in to offer a helping hand. Paul Zappitelli, the owner of Zappi’s Italian Garden in Daytona Beach, Florida, saw a local news report about Amber and her son, and his heart melted. After seeing a report about the pair on the local news, he offered Amber and her son a place to stay for two months, rent-free.
“I saw that little boy running over to Santa, and I just, I just teared over,” Zappitelli told WKMG-TV. “I went: ‘Oh my gosh, that’s horrible.’”
On top of that, he also stocked the refrigerator with food and made sure that Anthony had more toys to open on Christmas morning. This compassionate act of kindness was exactly what Amber and her son needed at such a difficult time.
Since moving to her new place, Johnston said her son’s mood has changed drastically.
“He actually wakes up and gives me a hug like this and says, ‘I’m so happy, Mommy,’” Johnston said. “Anthony deserves it, so I’m so thankful, cause look at him: he’s beautiful, you know.”
“I just felt that I was so blessed that I had to share,” Zappitelli said. Zappitelli is also considering bringing Johnston on as an employee at his restaurant.
