The streets of Los Angeles were on fire in May 1992. Violent riots tore through the city. Inside a small kitchen, a nine year old boy named Ramon Sanchez was just drinking a glass of milk. Suddenly, a stray bullet tore through the window. In one terrible second, a family lost their precious son.
The Sanchez family was completely devastated. To make the nightmare even worse, they had no money. They could not even afford to bury their little boy. The news hit the local papers. Hours later, the phone rang in the office of District Attorney Mary Sutton.
The voice on the other end belonged to Michael Jackson.
Top 5 Facts: 1992 LA Riots
Michael did not wait for anyone to ask for his help. He offered to pay for everything. He covered the full cost of the mortuary, the beautiful funeral, and the headstone.
Mary Sutton was completely shocked. She later told reporters, “This is the first time I’ve ever had anyone contact me totally unsolicited.” She knew right then that Michael had a very special quality. She hoped his quiet kindness would inspire the rest of the world.
A few weeks later, the grieving family went to a movie set in Culver City. Michael was there filming a commercial. Through a Spanish interpreter, the family looked at the King of Pop and thanked him. They told him that little Ramon was one of his absolute biggest fans. Michael’s fast, secret gift made their darkest days just a little bit brighter.
This was not a rare event. Michael always used his giant fame to heal the world. He proved this years earlier, during his own terrible tragedy.
In 1984, Michael was filming a massive commercial for Pepsi. A bright pyrotechnic explosion went terribly wrong. Michael’s hair caught on fire. He suffered horrible, painful burns on his scalp. He was rushed to the hospital.
The giant soda company agreed to a massive 1.5 million dollar settlement. Michael could have easily kept that giant check for himself. Instead, he looked around the hospital. He saw other sick, hurting patients. His heart broke for the other burn victims.
Michael Jackson Pepsi commercial hair on fire full
He took every single penny of that settlement and gave it right back to the hospital. He used his own pain to fund the brand new Michael Jackson Burn Center. He wanted to make sure other hurting children had a safe place to heal.
Selling millions of records makes you a famous pop star. But rushing to help a broken family in the dark makes you a true hero. Michael Jackson proved that the greatest way to heal the world is to look past your own pain and quietly wipe away the tears of a stranger.