In tough times like these days, many wonder whether goodness and kindness pays.
News of essential workers or healthcare workers who have lost their lives does put many down and make us doubt that goodness prevails.
However, the story of a 73 year old farmer from Kansas shows that doing the right thing does work out. Dennis Ruhnke brought tears to many New Yorkers when he sent New York governor one of the last N-95 masks he had in house.
In a letter that Gov. Cuomo read out in his daily press briefing, Ruhnke said that he hoped this mask can be used by nurses and doctors so that they can save more lives. This was no easy feat as his wife only has one lung has been struggling with diabetes – making her extremely vulnerable to Covid-19.
On Tuesday, Kansas State University announced that they gave Ruhnke a college degree in Agriculture. In 1971, Ruhnke had to quit school although he was merely two credits away from graduation. This was because his father became ill, and Ruhnke had to take care of the family.
The university also confirmed that Ruhnke will be able to take place in the fall commencement when the ceremony takes place. What made the degree even more special was because Tuesday was his birthday. Clearly emotional, Ruhnke said that he had waited 50 years for this degree, and thanked everyone for changing his life.
President of KSU Richard Meyers said that Ruhnke espoused the great virtues of generosity through his entire life even for complete strangers. Thus, Meyers said that it was with pride that it accepted Ruhnke as one of its alumnus.
Ruhnke had inspired many with a letter that he sent to Gov. Cuomo along with one N-95 mask. After explaining that he is hunkered down with his wife in Kansas, he said that his family had five masks left. After keeping four for the family, he mailed New York the fifth mask.
As he received the degree on Tuesday, Ruhnke said that helping is no difficult task. It isn’t a matter of how much you can give but rather giving as much as you can afford.
Mr. Ruhnke, we thank you for your incredible character. You truly deserve your degree and so much more. Share this story with your friends, and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more stories like this one.
Replaced!