The Internet is truly a wonderful thing, and every day it becomes a new testimony to the kindness of humanity. In one such incident, a social media user came to the rescue of a 19-year-old foreigner whose need for asthma medication had doubled due to Delhi’s deteriorating air quality and was struggling financially to afford it.
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Delhi air pollution
Delhi woke up to stifling air again on Tuesday morning as dense fog and haze engulfed the cityscape. Air quality index (AQI) levels in the capital crossed 400, in the severe category, at 27 monitoring stations and several others slipped into the “severe plus” range.
At 9 am on Tuesday, the city recorded an AQI of 415, slipping out of the ‘very bad’ category a day earlier, as pollution levels continued to rise, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
Delhi’s toxic air quality levels have been steadily declining since mid-October, exposing residents to extremely dangerous pollution. Several people took to social media to report eye irritation, throat discomfort and breathing problems.
But for those with breathing problems like asthma, these worsening numbers are more than just a statistic.
Read also | Delhi AQI: Are air purifiers really effective when air pollution becomes ‘severe’?
Redditor with a heart of gold
In a viral post on Reddit, the 19-year-old said a redditor gave him money to buy asthma medication while his family was struggling financially and Delhi’s dangerous pollution increased his daily dose.
“Things have been tough lately, add me being unemployed now, plus my dad was cheated out of his life savings, to top it off, I got asthma and I live in India with 400 AQI,” said the 19-year-old.
However, a kind stranger offered a helping hand. “Things were tough and honestly I was in danger of running out of asthma meds, I ranted about it online and one of the Redditors said they would help me buy the meds,” he wrote.
“I was given an inhaler and a few other things for some comfort,” said the Delhiite. “Reddit is truly the heart of the Internet.”
In a previous post, the 19-year-old shared that he needed 2 different types of inhalers a day due to worsening air pollution. “I don’t know if I can afford my inhalers next month or not,” he said.
A Redditor responded to his post saying, “I’m sorry to hear about your situation. If you really don’t have the money, I can help you with a small amount for your medicine for the next 3 months.”
Read also | Delhi Air Pollution: Rise in Asthma Patients as AQI Drops to ‘Severe’ Category.
Netizens react:
Social media users were touched by the stranger’s kind gesture and showered the Redditor with blessings.
“Aw man that’s so sweet. Bless the Redditor for going out of their way and bless you too. Asthma se*ea I hope you’re feeling better,” the user commented.
Another user said: “That’s so sweet. I think humanity exists.” “Good Reddit site!” another joined.
“Kudos to the kind-hearted Redditor,” said one netizen. “The good people are still there,” joked another.
“Wow… nice to see that… Reddit is a really beautiful place,” said another user.
A user shared a personal experience: “Once I urgently needed 5k and an old reddit friend of mine gave it to me at the moment, rare but you can really meet good people here.”
