Woman Praised For Helping Blind Baseball Fan Hail Chicago Cab


An Indianapolis woman had no idea that a brief exchange with a blind man on the north side of Chicago would turn her into a big deal on social media.

But, that is exactly what happened when Casey Spelman helped Cubs fan Yusef Dale hail a cab near Wrigley Field.

After the June 3 game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, Dale was doing his best to wave down a ride, but none of the dozens of taxis that were soaring by stopped.

Spelman was in the city visiting and happened to be walking out of a nearby restaurant.

Noticing Dale was holding a white cane, she left her friends and asked him if he need help.

Dale joked that Spelman “sounded pretty” and figured a taxi driver was more likely to stop for her. As it turned out, he was correct–at least on that day. After a brief talk about baseball and the crowded streets of Wrigleyville, a cab stopped, Dale hugged Spelman and that was that. Or was it?

Nope. Little did 26-year-old Spelman realize, a man named Ryan Hamilton was watching from the roof of the Old Crow Smokehouse. Moved by what he saw, he started snapping pictures.

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What happened next was something even Hamilton didn’t plan. After posting the photos on his Facebook page and giving the mystery woman kudos, users began sharing the story. As of this report, it has gone viral with more than 9,300 shares.

“Awesome to see such kindness in a world that the media portrays so much hate in. Share freely in hopes that her kindness spreads,” Hamilton posted.

Reporters caught up with Spelman after she saw the pics on her Facebook newsfeed. She said seeing them was slightly unnerving because she was unaware she was being photographed but hopes the story sends a simple message to others.

“Just be aware, and if you think you can help, don’t be afraid to reach out,” she said in a CBS News report via the Huffington Post. “People appreciate that.”

Spelman said she was not seeking attention or building on a list of good deeds. Someone needed assistance so she offered to lend a hand.

The photos have also drawn more than 500 comments, heralding Spelman’s act as beautiful and her as an angel.

“It really warms my heart to see such an act of kindness,” one Facebook user commented. “Hopefully, the people who just walked by, will think next time and do something! God bless you, the young lady and the man.”

Others said such acts should come second nature to everyone, echoing Spelman’s remark that she “didn’t think much of it at the time” when she decided to separate from her group to help Dale.

“It’s nice to see she is getting recognition,” Hamilton said. “But you can tell that is not why she did it.”

Yusef Dale is an assistant U.S. attorney who works in Chicago’s Dirksen Federal Building. He said he rarely needs help getting around in the city. What he called an “unusual ambiance” that day made hailing a cab difficult. After all, it was Saturday afternoon in Chicago and the Cubs just finished beating their biggest rivals 5-3. And with a healthy number of Cardinals fans in Illinois, games between the two clubs are never without a sizable turnout.

Dale said Spelman was very friendly and didn’t approach him with a presumption that he was disabled. While he said he is greatly appreciative of her consideration, he took something else away from the day’s events: the power of social media.

“You fully appreciate it when you are fully impacted by it.”

[Featured Image by Paul Beaty/AP Images]

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