Massachusetts mother Liana Arruda was out to dinner with her kids at Home Plate Bay Street Grill in Taunton when she was surprised with an act of kindness from a random woman sitting at the table next to her. Arruda went to go pay for her check, which came out to be about $80, but the waitress told her the woman who'd sat next to her already paid for it. The mysterious woman had given the waitress a card that she asked her to pass to Arruda. The card was created to honor the life of Trevor Paul Thomas, a standout athlete who played baseball in Maryland, more than 500 miles away, who died in a motorcycle accident in 2019 at just 21 years old. The card reads: "If you receive this card, then you must be a recipient of a random act of kindness. Please consider making a post to share your experience. In order for the Thomas family to see it, the post will have to be public, and please use #liveliketrev23."
Finally, at the bottom, it reads "Be somebody who makes everybody feel like somebody."
Arruda looked up the name on the card and the hashtag, and came across a March 2021 article from the Cumberland Times-News — a newspaper that serves parts of Maryland and West Virginia. The story's location is listed as Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, which is on the Pennsylvania border near both Maryland and West Virginia.
"I almost wanted to cry because it was just really selfless and thoughtful," she said. "I was with two young kids, so they can get a little crazy and overwhelming."
Arruda said the children weren't acting up, they were just on a bit of a sugar high from the candy they'd gotten from the event.
"What made them pick me like out of everybody? Because there was a ton of people in there," she said. "I just thought it was really, really kind of them."
Arruda said she's not rushing to give the card away again. She said she's looking for the right moment to help someone in need.
Liana Arruda and her 9 year old son.Photo: Liana Arruda