Deep in the heart of Texas, summer has arrived, and some residents just aren’t able to keep their cool.
95-year-old Julius Hatley made the best of his situation when his central AC went out in his Fort Worth, TX suburban home. After all, 90 degrees isn’t really bad considering the real heat in Texas is still months away. But as temperatures continued to climb, Hatley just couldn’t take it.
Drenched in sweat, Hatley called the 911 to report his broken air conditioning.
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“This wasn’t a regular 911 call,” Fort Worth Officer William Margolis told CBS News. “It was what you’d label ‘low priority’ because we’re not AC techs.”
Officer Margolis and his partner, Christofer Weir, eventually made it to Hatley’s home… what they discovered tugged their heart strings.
“When we got there around 8:30 a.m. his house was 85 to 90 degrees already,” Margolis said. “In Texas, it gets hot.”
Margolis promised Hatley they’d do whatever they could to make the house livable and took off with his partner – while Hatley managed to keep cool on his front porch.
CBS
The officers immediately went to their local Home Depot to purchase a window unit for Hatley that would help keep his house cool. While helping the officers pick out the best AC unit, Home Depot employees were so touched by Hatley’s story and their kind gesture that they donated $150 from their own pockets for the elderly man’s cause.
CBS
Hatley was over the moon when officers returned with the brand new unit. He even took the time to pose for a picture with Margolis before the officers installed the window unit for him.
CBS
Amazingly, the acts of kindness didn’t stop there.
“Since the story was [first shared], we have all worked on getting his central air replaced and a company came forward to do so, completely for free.” Jennifer Weir, wife of told CBS News. “We are also currently working on getting his windows replaced, his house repainted and groceries every week.”
Margolis said he plans to make a point of checking in on Hatley from time to time.
“He’s 95 years old and he’s a World War II veteran,” Margolis said. “He’s a hero. In our eyes he’s our hero.”
Check out a little more of Hatley in action in the short video below! This man is truly an inspiration and we are so glad to see strangers band around him.
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