An 85-year-old woman with cancer who was robbed in front of her home last month has received free eye surgery from a generous doctor and a $500 check from a one-time thief trying to make amends, Live 5 News reports.
Ida Sue Collins of Charleston, S.C., was returning home from the bank last month when a man stole her purse in broad daylight.
Desperate to not lose her money, Collins fought off her aggressor as much as she could.
"I wasn't thinking about my life," she told Live 5 News last week. "I was thinking about my pocketbook and what worried me was having to replace all that stuff. He had to fight for it."
Despite Collins' efforts, the thief managed to get away, taking all her money with him.
Deeply moved by Collins' story when he saw it on the news, Dr. Millin Budev of Carolina Cataract and Laser Center offered to do the surgery for free.
"Ms. Collins seemed just like the nicest lady and to see what happened to her was such an unfortunate thing and we just wanted to help in any way we could," said Budev.
Collins has also received another generous surprise -- this time in the form of a $500 check.
It was from an anonymous man who said it was to atone for a purse he had stolen from a woman years ago. He never got to apologize to the woman.
"There's so many good things that's happened out of this that I never dreamed would happen and it makes a big difference," said Collins, who added that all the money will be going towards her medical bills.