How Reddit users helped a woman spend last Mother's Day with her dying mum

'I am forever grateful to this community and it will always have a special place in my heart.' Photo / Reddit

The internet can be a true dumpster fire full of keyboard warriors and anonymous haters. But, sometimes, it can also be a warm loving place where strangers display deep kindness towards others.

This is one of those times.

When a Reddit user asked the question "What's the most personal thing you're willing to share with us?", people shared some incredibly intimidate thoughts.

One particular Reddit user, Alex, caught everyone's attention with her answer.

"My mum is dying in hospice care and I feel guilty every day I'm not there sitting by her side," she wrote.

"But I have $1.32 in my account and can't afford to be with her (I live 13 hours away).

"I also can't call to speak with her because they don't have a phone in her room and she can't get out of bed to be wheeled to the nurses station.

"So I'm kind of just waiting around for the phone call and get a sinking feeling in my heart whenever my phone rings."

She explained that she found out about her mother's health troubles when she was out of the country and immediately spent all her savings flying back home, to the US, to spend time with her mum. She stayed with her for five days before having to leave again.

"I said my goodbyes in person then because I didn't know how I'd ever get back to see her. But that was about 1.5 months ago and every day that passes, makes me feel guilty I'm not there and it's just a waiting game at this point."

"Where are you loc[ated]? How much would transportation be? Maybe we can help," a Reddit user wrote.

What happened next was a wave of generosity, with several Reddit users getting in touch wanting to chip in a contribution.

"Tickets from Denver to St Louis look dirt cheap [right now]," another user said. "I'm okay putting money down for travel and food."

"I'm down," wrote someone else. "I'm in for 40 bucks. Anyone else?"

"Just saw all of this and I'm overwhelmed," the woman wrote when she returned online, hours later.

"I haven't been sleeping and can hardly eat and finally (privately) had a breakdown in front of my professor in class this morning because I couldn't afford to get my final project printed for $2 at Office Depot.

"But coming home to see this ... I'm crying from all of this support from total strangers. I'm just in shock."

According to Forbes, Alex received over $1000 in donations from Reddit users, which allowed her to cover flights, rental car, food and accommodation to visit her mum for one last Mother's Day.

"I've used some to get necessities for my mum that the facility isn't providing for her, and the rest will go towards funeral expenses and her cremation, if there's any left over at the end of the trip," Alex told Forbes.

She also posted an update on the trip to Reddit, where she shared the heartbreaking image above, of her hand holding her frail mother's hand.

"I am forever grateful to this community and it will always have a special place in my heart," she said.