All I wanted was a cheap couch for my garage-turned-guest-room.

So when I found a faded floral one at a garage sale for $20,

I didn’t hesitate. The seller, Kristen, told me it had belonged to her late mother.

They were selling things to help pay for her daughter’s leukemia treatment.

It broke my heart but I handed over the cash and took the couch home.

That same day, my dog,

Wasabi, went wild, scratching at the couch like his life depended on it.

Curious, I cut into the fabric and froze. Bundles of cash spilled out. Over $20,000 hidden inside.

Suddenly, I was staring at life-changing money. But it wasn’t mine.

I thought about Kristen and her daughter, and the pain in her eyes. I drove back.

When I handed Kristen the gym bag full of cash, she gasped, then broke into tears.

Her mother had once mentioned hidden savings, but no one could find them.

Now, those savings would pay for her daughter’s treatment.

The story spread fast. A few days later, an anonymous donor sent me a check for $20,000. T

hen my boss gave me a raise and a promotion.

But what mattered most was a card from Kristen, with a photo of her smiling daughter.

Because of you, my child gets to have a future

. That $20 couch reminded me of the man I want to be and the kind of legacy I want to leave behind.