I was waiting at a red light when a 12-year-old girl suddenly climbed into my backseat. I turned around, shocked, and asked, “Who are you?!” She said, “Mom told me to get in your car.”

I looked around—there was no one. Then she added, “She said you’re the man who brought me into this world, and now you can help us with some money.”
Just then, my phone rang. It was a woman who addressed me by name: “Dr. Carter.” She introduced herself and said I had been her doctor 12 years ago, and that she had just seen me by coincidence on the street. She and her daughter were in desperate need—her husband had thrown them out, and they had nowhere to go.
I was stunned. I didn’t recognize her voice or remember her name, but she clearly remembered me. And I couldn’t just turn them away—especially with her daughter sitting in my backseat, looking at me with quiet hope. I reached into my wallet and handed the girl $200—enough for a few nights in a motel and some food.
Then I watched her walk away and drove off. I never saw this child again. But I’ll never forget that day.