When Matthew Stevens called Lyft to pick him up in West Hollywood, California and take him to meet some friends for drinks, he was feeling pretty bummed. His relationship with a guy he was dating had just ended and he didn’t feel like talking. So when he got into his Lyft—to his surprise, a bright yellow pickup truck—and the conversation turned to his love life, he quickly dropped the subject and began asking the driver about hers.
He told People the driver, Lupe, said she hadn’t dated in 15 years, explaining “her 15-year-old son had autism and that she spent her nights working, so she could be with him during the day.”
Lupe also casually dropped she had been diagnosed with cancer. “When I’m away undergoing treatments, I know he’s OK on his own,” she said about her son learning to do his own laundry.
Long after the ride was over, Stevens couldn’t stop thinking about Lupe and her optimistic outlook despite all she was going through. So he started a GoFundMe campaign for her and her son. “Cancer treatments, her son’s college tuition, or even just money so she could relax a little and enjoy life with her son. Whatever it is that she needs, I wanted to help,” Stevens wrote on the GoFundMe page. He also mentioned, “I would say I have been a relatively selfish person in life, and I would like the opportunity to give back to someone who really needs it.”
The campaign has already raised over $10k. On the GoFundMe page, Stevens said he’s reached out to Lyft to get in contact with Lupe, but didn’t want to tell her what he was doing until he raised a significant amount. I think it’s safe to say she’ll find out about the generosity he’s inspired very soon.