The family of an Alabama farmer discovered a moving secret on his deathbed: the 80-year-old donated $100 to a local pharmacy every month for ten years, in secret, to help people access the medicines they needed but could not afford.
Born and raised in the small town of Geraldine, Alabama, Buford “Hody” Childress served in the U.S. Air Force for eight years, was a farmer for 50 years, and worked at Lockheed Martin’s Alabama Space Center until he retired. He continued farming until two years before his death.
His daughter, 58-year-old hairdresser Tania Nix, lives in nearby Ider, Alabama. When Hody suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health issues, he had trouble moving around and was pretty much bedridden. He knew by then his end was approaching and he couldn’t keep his secret any longer.
“I was going to the drugstore one day and he told me, ‘I’ve been doing something for a while, and I would like to continue doing this as long as I’m alive,’” Nix told The Epoch Times. “I said, ‘Okay, what is that, Dad?’ and he said, ‘I’ve been carrying a $100 bill to the drugstore on the first of the month, I give it to Brooke, and she has the liberty to do what she chooses to help someone. I told her just to tell them it’s anonymous, and it’s a blessing from the Lord.’”
Nix told her father she would be glad to take the money on his behalf. She handed the bill in the pharmacy Geraldine Drugs but had no idea how long her father’s tradition had been going on until after he passed away, peacefully at home, on New Year’s Day 2023.
“Before the funeral, we gathered to reminisce about Dad,” Nix said. “One of my cousins was a personal friend of Brooke Walker [the pharmacist at Geraldine Drugs] ... she immediately sat down and started telling the story ... that’s how I found out about the depth and magnitude of what he had done.”
Walker had been “sworn to secrecy,” by Hody but felt the family deserved to know about Hody’s heartfelt mission.
Hody made his first monthly donation in 2012. Besides Nix’s stepmother, Martha Jo, and Walker, nobody knew. But as Hody’s fund gradually amassed thousands, word spread in the community that if someone was in bad need, there were donations at the pharmacy that could help. Walker used the money at her discretion.
“He was a very kind and gentle man,” Nix said of her father. “He was a very godly man; the Lord came first in his life ... a lot of people that knew him, knew what his heart was like, and how kind and generous he was. I think people were surprised that he was committed to a mission that he followed for so long, that he made sure it happened every month.”
After Hody’s passing, stories surfaced from some of the people he had helped. Nix shared the story of a 15-year-old boy who had an allergic reaction to a bee sting. His parents could not afford the $600 EpiPen, but thanks to Hody’s donations, the boy got the medication he needed.
It later transpired that the boy had worked for Nix’s younger brother, Doug Childress, and her nephew on the Childress family farm. The boy’s family was very touched to find out that it was Hody who had provided the EpiPen.
Hody was a generous man despite having faced tragedy in his past. In 1973, a tornado hit Hody’s parents’ house, killing his father and his son. Shortly after, Hody’s wife, Peggy–Tania’s mother–was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Hody continued working full-time and became Peggy’s caregiver until she died in 1999.
“He never was one to be down and out, no matter the circumstances,” Nix said. “I feel very blessed that I was raised by a man that was so gentle and kind, and I feel very thankful that he was able to give back to the community.”
Nix believes that her father started a good and positive movement that could help the whole world.
Some of the people Hody helped returned the money to Geraldine Drugs to pay it forward. Meanwhile, some others wrote letters to Walker expressing their gratitude. People in 11 different states have either been affected by Hody’s generosity or have started a Hody Childress Fund in their own local pharmacy and Geraldine Drugs is one of them. Hody’s story has also been shared in different parts of the world.
Nix said: “I feel like this story has given hope to many people that feel hopeless. I'd like for people to realize that there are people that love and care about you, no matter how low or how bad things get.”
