Twilight Star Taylor Lautner Helps Girl Scout with Cerebral Palsy Meet Her Cookie Goal

Getty Images | David Becker

Either Hollywood actor Taylor Lautner has a heart of gold or he just really, really loves cookies. We suspect it’s the former. On an outing to a restaurant in early March 2019, Lautner placed an unexpected order for Girl Scout cookies that was a game-changing gesture of kindness for one little girl.

©Getty Images | Alberto E. Rodriguez

The star was privy to a conversation between his server and her co-worker. The woman serving him was in distress, as her 10-year-old daughter, Gracie, had fallen ill and was unable to meet a goal that was really important to her: selling a target number of Girl Scout cookies. Everybody knows the trademark tension that arises in the midst of the famous Girl Scout cookie race, but competition aside, there was much more to it for Gracie. The young girl had cerebral palsy, and the cookie sales she'd been tasked with meant a lot to her.

Illustration - Shutterstock | iyd39

Lautner was touched by overhearing that Gracie had worked hard, and was upset that her efforts might amount to nothing. It would have been easy for the 27-year-old actor to shrug sympathetically and walk away, but this wasn’t good enough for Lautner. Determined to help, he placed an order with Gracie’s tearful mom.

A little act of kindness goes a long way, and in the age of social media, what better way to spread a message of inspiration than to post it on the internet? Lautner, championing Gracie’s cause, did just that. “Her mother broke down in tears telling us that Gracie has cerebral palsy and it takes a lot of effort for her to stand out there and go around selling cookies,“ the actor shared, ”so she was so sad to have come that close to hitting her goal.”

Gracie herself wasn’t about to remain silent. The overjoyed (and incredibly grateful) Girl Scout had something to say for herself. She recorded a video to thank Lautner for helping her reach her goal, and Lautner uploaded the touching message to Instagram. Clearly, Gracie and her mom were not the only people affected by the surprising exchange. “You never know when a small contribution can go a long way and mean the world to somebody,” Lautner wrote.

Lautner is the object of teenage crushes the world over thanks to his role as moody heartthrob Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga movies, so perhaps unsurprisingly, his upload was viewed by over 350,000 people in fewer than 24 hours. “We need more of this type of LOVE in the world! Good job Taylor,” wrote one supportive fan. “Our house has always been team Jacob,” shared another. “What a great example of kindness and generosity.”

Some fans couldn’t ignore the irresistible lure of the mention of “cookies,” however: “I’ll buy all the cookies,” wrote one hungry fan. “I love cookies, especially as breakfast and with a tea to dunk them in.”

If it turns out that Taylor Lautner is a voracious cookie monster, after all, then he is certainly not alone!

Watch Gracie’s sweet message of thanks to her new idol in the video below.