Wareham Woman Aims to Give the Gift of Comfort to Stranger Battling Cancer

It may have started as a simple Facebook Marketplace transaction, but now, one Wareham woman is on a mission to raise enough money to buy a complete stranger a recliner.

A man is suffering from cancer, and Simah Sprawling wants to make his life a little more comfortable.

Sprawling was on the hunt for a television stand and turned to Facebook Marketplace to find what she was looking for.

“I found one from this lady, and I tried to bargain, but the woman said ‘No, I need the money, my husband is really sick,’” Sprawling said.

The woman told Sprawling that her husband wasn’t going to get better, either.

Sprawling decided to move forward with the purchase and went to the woman’s home, accompanied by her husband, to retrieve the TV stand.

“It looked like a happy home when we pulled up,” said Sprawling. “I walked in, and the man was lying on the couch and was clearly very uncomfortable. He had oxygen tubes in his nose and he told me he had stage 4 lung cancer and COPD.”

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Sprawling’s heart ached for this family. The man on the couch was suffering, but he was more concerned about the well-being of his wife, who had to do everything for him.

It turns out that the family did not want to sell the TV stand but they are desperate to raise money for a new recliner.

“The guy just kept saying he just wants to be comfortable,” said Sprawling.

There was something about this family that resonated with Sprawling and her husband.

Sprawling’s husband offered his services for any type of yard work before they left. Then, Sprawling gave the woman $5 over the asking price, and while it seemed like a small gesture, it brought the woman to tears. That’s when Sprawling realized she wanted to help.

“I told the woman, ‘Do not spend this money. Give me one week to come back with a recliner.’”

Now, Sprawling is doing her best to raise enough money to purchase this man a comfortable recliner.

“I have never met these people before, but I cannot get them off of my mind,” she said.

Let’s help Sprawling make a difference in the lives of a couple that has fallen on rough times.