Man Explains Why He Married A 90-Year-Old Lady When He Was 18 & Homeless — And What He Did With Her Money When She Passed
Their acts of kindness helped others in need, illustrating the ripple effect of compassion and love.
@cerosthegod / TikTok After an 18-year-old man found himself living on the streets, he formed an unusual connection with a 90-year-old woman. As the two grew closer, she proposed an idea that may seem absurd to some people, but an arrangement that was perfect for the two of them.
Nearly a decade later, the man revealed how the unconventional situation led him to where he is today, and how it changed him for the better.
The man, who was homeless at the time, married a 90-year-old woman after the two became close when he was on the streets.
The astonishing story was shared on TikTok by a man named Ceros Whaley, who claimed it all began after he was kicked out of his home at 18, after battling what he called a “debilitating” disease.
“I was homeless, living behind a bakery and visiting a hospital,” Whaley explained. It was at the hospital where he met a 90-year-old woman, whom he shared an extraordinary bond with.
After getting to know each other on a more personal level, the woman asked Whaley to do her an extraordinary favor. “She said, ‘Hey, I would like to spend the last few years of my life with somebody young and handsome. Would you like to spend the last days with me?’”
She provided him with a roof over his head, and he gave her the opportunity to spend the time she had left doing activities including hiking, camping, and traveling, with a hand to hold.
Whaley said the time spent with his wife was “fun” and “amazing.”
Sadly, Whaley's wife passed away a few months after getting married.
After the woman’s death, there were a lot of decisions regarding what to do with her home, pets, and finances that were all in the hands of Whaley.
Since the woman’s grandchildren reportedly “hated” him, he endured a tough legal battle over who got what. The battle was fortunately one that Whaley won, but before delving into what exactly he did with the woman’s personal possessions and assets, he made it clear that she had nothing but good intentions.
“[She] was not a groomer, she helped me out,” Whaley said. “You’ve probably never been homeless before. It’s horrifying, it sucks. You don’t want to be out in the cold during the winter.”
So, what happened to the house he and his late wife were living in? According to Whaley, he ended up selling it since it was too big for just him to live in. The woman also left behind nine cats, a dog, and a few lizards. He rehomed all of the animals to the woman’s neighbors and their children who were interested in taking them in.
As for the woman’s finances, Whaley said that they were left to him. Between the woman’s life insurance and selling many of her items left behind as part of her estate, he had a hefty inheritance.
However, it is what he chose to do with the money that his late wife would be most proud of.
He decided to give his late wife’s money to homeless people.
Instead of “blowing it all in Vegas” like some people assumed that he would, he used it much more generously.
“I initially thought, ‘How can I put this money to be used lucratively?’” Whaley decided to take a hands-on approach to charity, “I gave the money to people at diners. I gave it to people that were struggling, homeless people, people that were in my situation, people that would never see this amount of money.”
Whaley admitted that he was “going downhill” following his wife’s death since he had “lost somebody he actually learned to love.” In his state of deep depression, he gave the money to people who he knew deserved to smile the most.
In a follow-up video, Whaley added that he ended up selling his late wife’s home after her passing due to the “sad and tragic” memories it evoked. Coupled with the fact that since her grandchildren despised him, he wanted to ensure that none of them swiped the home.
“Looking at all the memories in the house was absolutely depressing,” he shared.
“I was horrifyingly sad,” Whaley confessed. “When you’re young and sad, and your entire life you’ve had no guidance and nobody to help you, you don’t think correctly.”
He worried that the money was a curse. “I didn’t want the money. I didn’t feel like I deserved it in any capacity,” he admitted.
There was also a level of guilt that Whaley felt having control of his wife’s money when she was no longer here.
Although she never got the chance to see how he chose to use the money, we can guarantee that if she could, she would feel even more grateful for choosing him as her last partner before she passed away.
Photo: PLotulitStocker / Shutterstock
One act of kindness often inspires another, and when people experience love and compassion, they are more likely to extend it to others.
The woman bringing Whaley into her life when he had nowhere else to turn, and Whaley giving her the chance to live out some of life’s best moments during her final days, resulted in even more people who were in need getting the funds they deserved.
While the loss certainly shattered Whaley's heart, experiencing kindness and love from his late wife may have ultimately led him to his greatest act of compassion.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.