Teens from Iowa step in for a paralyzed neighbor whose yard was destroyed by the storm

Ray Drake from Des Moines, Iowa, became paralyzed in 1989 and his two sisters have been taking care of him ever since. The life of people who face paralysis is hard because they struggle to perform even the most basic tasks, but Ray is happy he has someone to rely on whenever he needs anything.

Recently, his hometown was struck by a terrific storm that caused huge destruction. A huge number of people were left without electricity for over a week, a great number of the crops were simply wiped out, and the streets, as well as people’s yards, were left with huge trees broken in half.

Overall, the situation was disastrous.

Ray’s backyard was destroyed as well. Many fallen trees were making it impossible for his sisters to walk through while visiting him, and they knew they had to clean up the mess the storm that lasted for 14 hours left behind.

But where should they start? Although they were aware those trees were a lot for the two of them to handle, they had to start somewhere, so they contacted one of Ray’s school friends and asked for a chainsaw to lend.

Doug Applegate was more than willing to help, but after he saw the photos of his friend’s backyard he knew the sisters needed a lot more than a single chainsaw. What he did next brought Iowans the praise from people from all over the country.

Namely, Doug contacted the local school, Roosevelt High School, and asked from the football team to help. Believe it or not, around 30 teenagers who played for the school team arrived at Ray’s backyard in a matter of hours.

When Ray and his sisters saw the teens, they couldn’t contain their tears and happiness. One of the boys, Jackson Neary, said something that touched many. “That’s just what people in Iowa do. We’re all friendly and help each other out.” This made many want to be residents of Iowa themselves.

Ray couldn’t thank the players enough and kept saying, “I’m blessed. I’m blessed.” These teens really made his day.

They all worked really hard and showed what it means to care for the members of the community. Thank you boys for doing such an incredible thing.

Take a look at the whole story in the video below and make sure you share it with your friends.

Monica Pop
Monica Pop
Monica Pop is a senior writer for Bored Daddy magazine covering the latest trending and popular articles across the United States and around the world.

More from author

Related posts

Latest posts

Here is what this little hole on the ear mean

When we think of rare physical traits, we usually imagine certain striking features that immediately draw attention. But sometimes, unusual traits are so small...

40 killed after paraglider drops bombs on festival crowd in Myanmar

At least 40 people have been killed and around 80 wounded after a motorised paraglider dropped bombs on a crowd gathered for a candlelight...

South Carolina judge Diane Goodstein’s home catches fire — what we know so far

A fire broke out on October 4, 2025, at the Edisto Island home of South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein, destroying the property...

The Case That Stirred Wakefield: Loss, Accountability, and Lessons Learned

Beneath the Quiet Streets of Wakefield: The Tragedy Behind Liam Deane’s Story In a quiet corner of Wakefield, whispers stirred—questions about Liam Deane that no...

Air Disaster Strikes as Plane with Over 240 Onboard Goes Down

Global Shock as Passenger Jet with Over 244 Aboard Crashes Under Mysterious Circumstances. The world is reeling from breaking reports of a large-scale aviation...

Greta Thunberg’s brutal response to Donald Trump amid ‘anger management issues’ comment

President Donald Trump and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg come from very different perspectives. While Greta is best known as a climate change activist, Trump...