“I still feel peace in my heart for being able to help him.”
By Stephen Messenger
Published on Oct 12, 2024 at 5:16 PM
Late last month, truck driver Helton Clay Brito was driving down a remote stretch of road in Minas Gerais, Brazil, when he noticed something moving on the dirt path ahead of him.
As Brito neared, he realized it was a little armadillo, appearing fatigued beneath the blazing sun.
“I felt in my heart that I had to stop the truck,” Brito told The Dodo. “He seemed to be walking aimlessly. I decided to give him water.”
Brito put his truck into park and climbed out of the cab to get a better look at the armadillo. But his sudden presence there was hardly unwelcome.
“When I got out, he ran to my feet,” Brito said. “It seemed like he knew I would help.”
That’s when the kindhearted truck driver began to pour water from his canteen:
“When I poured water on him, I felt that he was relieved,” Brito said. “It seemed he hadn’t had a drink for days.”
Afterward, Brito stayed by the armadillo’s side, talking to him gently as he checked to ensure his condition had improved.
“He was happy,” Brito said.
From there, the two parted ways — the armadillo continuing his journey with a renewed sense of strength. Brito continued on, too, but the memory of that sweet encounter lingers on to today.
“I still feel peace in my heart for being able to help him,” Brito said.