Buzz
There are instances when individuals go out of their way to help others. In most cases, their actions are rewarded with goodwill and appreciation, yet sometimes the outcomes are far from what they expected.
But occasionally, well-meaning efforts completely backfire, leaving those with the best intentions regretting their kindness. Truly, no good deed goes unpunished.
10. Paul Gaylord
Paul Gaylord resides in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. In 2014, his cat Charlie went missing for several days in the wilderness. When Charlie finally returned, Paul found him lying on the back porch. The cat’s face was swollen, and he was struggling to breathe. Realizing he was choking, Paul opened Charlie's mouth and found a dead, decaying mouse lodged in his throat. As Paul attempted to remove it, the cat bit his hand, causing a wound.
Paul managed to save Charlie’s life, but the relief was short-lived as the cat was clearly unwell. Two days later, Paul began experiencing flu-like symptoms at work. His skin turned an ashen gray, and the lymph nodes under his arms swelled up like lemons. He was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with bubonic plague. His lungs collapsed, and his heart stopped. He fell into a coma for nearly a month. He eventually recovered, but saving his cat led him to contract one of the deadliest diseases known to man.
9. Steven Arrasmith
One fall evening in 2016, a car lost control on icy roads and crashed on a bridge on I-84, spanning the Snake River that connects Idaho and Oregon. As Steven Arrasmith was heading home to see his newborn daughter, he parked his car behind the wreck and got out to check on the driver. A third car approached the two stopped vehicles, lost control, and collided with Steven’s SUV, pushing him over the edge of the bridge.
Steven plunged 15 meters (50 ft) from the bridge into the icy river. Although his leg was broken, he managed to swim to an island and pull himself out. He yelled for help, and after some time, he was rescued. In a later interview, Steven expressed gratitude for the fall, noting that if he had stayed on the bridge, the cars would have crushed him, and he would have died.
8. Will Orr
Five-year-old Ayden Orr suffers from a rare type of epilepsy that causes him to stop breathing just before having severe seizures. He also has fluid buildup beneath one of his ribs and may need risky surgery. His family is doing their best to manage the situation, seeking a service dog for him and striving to make his life as comfortable as possible. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation asked Ayden what he wanted most, he said he wanted to meet Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story. They granted his wish, giving the family a free trip to Disney World.
Ayden’s father, Will Orr, worked in IT at the Foundations Recovery Network in Brentwood, Tennessee. In May 2017, he had used up his vacation days to take his son to crucial doctor’s appointments. However, when Will requested time off for his son’s potentially final trip to Disney World, the company accused him of “taking advantage” and fired him. As a result, his family lost their health insurance, and Will now faces a legal battle with his former employer for coverage while he searches for new employment.
7. Ethan Thompson
In July 2017, construction workers in Kybong, Queensland, Australia, arrived at work to discover a kangaroo stuck in the mud. The mud was so deep it acted like quicksand, trapping the animal. One of the workers, Guy Nixon, took out his phone to document the rescue. Ethan Thompson and his colleagues rescued the kangaroo by using a long broom to drag it closer to the shore, and then several men helped pull the animal out of the mud.
Although Ethan’s actions were heroic, the kangaroo didn’t seem to show any gratitude. Once freed from the mud, the traumatized animal punched Ethan squarely in the face. It then proceeded to box with the rest of the construction crew before hopping off ungratefully into the bush.
6. Bobby McDonald
Bobby McDonald, a campground owner in Walton, Kentucky, was actively involved in his community. In 2012, at the age of 27, he was campaigning for reelection to the city council. On the day of the election, his wife, exhausted from working her first 12-hour hospital shift while also raising their three kids and studying nursing, overslept. Bobby decided to let her rest, appreciating her hard work and support, and took on the task of running the election errands himself.
Unfortunately, Bobby's well-meaning gesture backfired. He lost the election by just one vote. If he had woken his wife up that morning, he would have won. The final vote was a tie with 669 votes on each side, and the outcome was decided by a coin flip. Not only did his gesture cost him the election, but it also landed him in trouble with his wife, who was upset for being allowed to sleep in.
5. Charles Artz
Charles Artz, a police officer in Chicago, was on patrol when he discovered a 53-year-old woman, Dolores Anderson, and her three young granddaughters, aged seven, two, and one, living in an abandoned house. Dolores had to quit her jobs to raise the children after her own daughter abandoned them. The standard protocol would have been for Charles to call social services, which would have taken the children into foster care. But moved by their dire situation, Charles went home and created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the family to secure housing and keep them together. The campaign raised over $90,000, allowing Dolores and the girls to escape the unsafe and unhealthy environment.
Even though police officers are sworn to “protect and serve,” the Chicago Police Department didn’t view Artz’s actions the same way. They initiated an investigation into him because it is against protocol for officers to solicit public donations. While the investigation may be dropped, Artz will forever have a complaint on his record, which tarnishes his career and reputation.
4. Andrew Pasek
In August 2017, during Hurricane Harvey, 26-year-old Andrew Pasek from Bear Creek, Texas, was searching for his sister’s cat to ensure it could get something to eat. With water rising up to his knees, he waded through the yards with his friend Sean. Andrew was ahead and unaware that a live electrical wire was floating in the water. When he got too close, he was immediately electrocuted.
As Andrew was being electrocuted, Sean rushed toward him to try to help, but Andrew’s final words were, “I’m dying. Go away. Don’t help me.” He understood that if Sean touched him, both would be electrocuted and Sean would die as well. Andrew’s mother is now advocating for the power to be cut off during floods and for rescuers to take extreme care before risking their lives to save others.
3. Chris Sommers
In September 2017, protests erupted in St. Louis, Missouri, after a police officer was acquitted for the murder of a black man. On a hot day, Chris Sommers, the owner of a pizzeria called Pi Pizza, decided to bring out glasses of ice water for the protesters. His restaurant had always supported the police, offering discounts to officers, and Chris stated that his gesture was simply one of peace and goodwill, alongside being a humanitarian act.
After he was seen handing out water to the protesters, officers started firing pepper pellets and tear gas directly at his restaurant. A publication called Blue Lives Matter criticized Chris, claiming he deserved the backlash and urging police supporters to boycott his business. Chris began receiving a continuous stream of threatening phone calls to the restaurant.
2. James Brady
In 2013, James Brady, a man living in a homeless shelter in Hackensack, New Jersey, was out for a walk when he stumbled upon an envelope containing $850 in cash. He could have kept it for himself, but instead, he chose to take it to the local police station, hoping to return it to its rightful owner. The police informed him that if no one claimed the money within six months, it would be his to keep. During that time, James sought part-time work and eventually managed to escape homelessness by sharing an apartment with multiple roommates.
Six months later, James was able to keep the money he had turned in. However, due to the police being involved, the state learned about his new $850 “income” and, as a result, revoked his free Medicaid healthcare, claiming he had earned too much.
1. Taylor Radig
Taylor Radig, an undercover worker for the animal rights group Compassion Over Killing, took a job at Weld County Cattle Company in Colorado after the organization received reports of livestock abuse. After months of gathering evidence, Taylor filmed shocking footage of newborn male calves being mistreated, including being dragged, kicked, and left injured as their bodies struggled to develop.
However, her undercover investigation backfired. Taylor filmed the abuse over the course of three months before alerting the authorities. Since she did not immediately report the incidents, the police treated her as complicit in the abuse. Despite being the whistleblower, Taylor was charged with animal abuse, while the actual perpetrators received the same punishment as her.
