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Wait Until You Hear About Actor Tyler Perry’s Incredible Act of Kindness

Oct. 3, 2012 3:15pm Erica Ritz

Actor Tyler Perry Donates Van to Woman With Cerebral Palsy Alicia Day After Hearing Hers Was Stolen

Tyler Perry (Photo: AP)

(TheBlaze/AP) — Filmmaker Tyler Perry is donating a new vehicle to a Georgia woman with cerebral palsy after her specially-equipped van was stolen outside her home in Atlanta.

Perry told Atlanta station WSB-TV that he decided to give Alicia Day the brand new van after watching a news report about the theft this week.

Inspired by her story and dismayed that the family could not afford to replace the $60,000 vehicle, Perry reportedly called the news channel just minutes after the program ended to ask what he could do to help.

Alicia Day tries out her new van. (Photo: WSB-TV)

WSB-TV relates Alicia Day’s story, and how Perry’s generosity has impacted the family:

Day, who’s in a wheelchair, had no idea how she would get around. Despite her disability, she told Channel 2′s Diana Davis she prides herself on trying to be independent, working part-time as a greeter at Home Depot. Her mother, Hannelore Day, also relies on the $60,000-van to take Day to work and to doctor appointments. But now transportation is no longer a concern thanks to Perry, Day said.

“My mouth just dropped to the floor when I heard his voice,” Day said about her reaction to Perry’s call.

Her father, who answered the phone couldn’t believe it was Perry.

He said, “Excuse me, who do you want to talk to? Who is this now?,’ Day’s mother said.

Day's mother, left, hugs a WSB-TV reporter. (Photo: WSB-TV)

Not only that, but Day’s co-workers at The Home Depot have pledged $5,000 to help with her medical expenses, and the company’s president is meeting with Day later this week.

“God is good, and Tyler Perry is just wonderful!” Day told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday, adding that her favorite Perry movie is “Why Did I Get Married?”

Salesman Michael Bortvit, who sold the car to the filmmaker, said he’d never seen anything like it. Perry pulled up by himself, seemingly determined to help the family, calling them to ask which model they would like best.

“It was a humongous gesture of generosity,” Bortvit said. “And it was obvious that not only was he not seeking recognition, he was going out of his way to avoid it.”

Day told WSB-TV: “I went from being bummed out yesterday to today, just being thrilled!”

–

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Comments (68)

Cosmos102
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 8:19pm
Tyler Perry is a great guy. I wish more movie stars would act this way. Instead they hoard their millions or bring cameras to film their charitable acts. But what do I know? It may take 20 mil per film to pay the rent. *barf*

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- The_Pointy_End
  Posted on October 4, 2012 at 12:02am
  Don’t forget they hold fundraisers for Obama.
  
  Report this comment
RossPoldark
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 7:17pm
Matthew 6:2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do–blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.

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- Necred
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 8:36pm
  After the way he treated the 2 white cops in Atlanta, he needed to redeem himself. I think hes a closet racist.
  
  Report this comment
- pdw
  Posted on October 4, 2012 at 9:44am
  As for me I do not care what his reason was only that he did do something no one else did, help a lady who was in real need at that time.
  
  Report this comment
- Aviyah
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 9:06am
  The Blaze is blowing a trumpet for Perry’s good deed, not Perry. I think he’s good. And if more people willingly offered kindness like this to their fellow man maybe the Left would have a harder time convincing the masses that we need government to do it.
  
  Report this comment
trurl
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 6:53pm
While it is true that Jesus taught us to not let our “left hand know what our right hand is doing”. I think it would be next to impossible for the highest paid entertainer on earth to do something like this without somebody noticing. I note that they do not interview Mr. Perry himself for this article which lends itself to the idea that he wished to stay as low profile as someone with his high level of visibility can. Yes, he called the news station but that was apparently to inquire how he could help this woman…not to gain publicity for himself. No matter how he did this there will always be critics. So many people are mean, bitter and angry in this world that even a generous act like this could not possibly go “unpunished” by them. Is Tyler Perry perfect…not hardly. But neither are you and I. Kudos Mr. Perry.

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- SLAPTHELEFT
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 7:21pm
  Very kind gesture. Thats how true Americans spread their wealth- on charities of their own choice.
  
  Mr. Perry was nice enough to do for the less fortunate with his own money. Dont worry about his motives. There are plenty of others who publicize their acts of kindness using other peoples money for you to question.
  
  Yeah you sheep, encinom, and your troll family members.
  
  Report this comment
Worriedboomer
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 5:11pm
Same question: no insurance? Thanks for the good deed, Mr. Perry, but the fact that it’s being discussed in public does make me question motives. Let’s hope that the young lady does buy insurance this time, and if she did have insurance and collects it, that she passes on the favor to someone else. “Pay it forward” is a wonderful thing.

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- Exrepublisheep
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 6:56pm
  I’m not sure who made it public. If it was Perry, I would question his motives. But if it was the woman herself then gratz and thanks to him.
  
  Report this comment
budahbabe
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:33pm
Mr. Perry,

Thank you for your generous gift to this family. If there were more people in the world like you sir, we would all be better off.

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grimmster
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:19pm
What Perry did was great,but my question is, did the woman not have insurance on her vehicle? Its one thing to not have insurance on a .50 cent yugo, but a 60k special needs vehicle?……..

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- JQuentinEvermann
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:50pm
  Auto Insurance is a human right and should be provided by the federal government for everybody, free of charge. Just shut up and pay more taxes, will ya?
  
  Report this comment
- BSdetector
  Posted on October 4, 2012 at 9:00am
  I’m Barrack Obama and I approve this message ^
  
  Report this comment
NewLife24
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:17pm
Forgive me for being the 800 lob gorilla but aren’t we supposed to do good deeds anonymously? He like Obama wants the spotlight on him!!

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- kryptonite
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 5:04pm
  This is one woman — AND family, AND friends — who will not feel betrayed by Barack “Scr*w Blacks” Obama. Life is good. Vote Obum 2012, you brainwashed black indentured servant.
  
  See how it works? Cuz I spot a lot of gullible conservatives on this thread.
  
  Report this comment
- SLAPTHELEFT
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 7:56pm
  i apologize for my harsh words krypto.
  
  I did not mean that.
  
  Report this comment
- kryptonite
  Posted on October 4, 2012 at 1:27am
  @SLAPTHELEFT
  Your comment is gone, so never mind. I would have accepted your apology anyway. Peace, friend.
  
  Report this comment
RETIREDUSAFDEFENDER
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:16pm
We need more of this in this country!! It is nice to read a story about a good deed than some of the other crap out there right now!

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JerkyMiester
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:12pm
Before you all get warm and cuddly with Tyler being a nice guy, you might want to read this article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2202565/White-police-officers-cleared-Tyler-Perry-accused-racial-profiling.html

Tyler might be a nice guy but he has a problem with skin color and it’s not his own.

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- tommyg070
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:45pm
  What Tyler Perry did was commendable, but if what I read is true, that he put it out on his Facebook, that negates it for me. With his kind of money and fame, why would he even try and get any recognition? I would have had a 3rd party do the deal, just to keep my name out of it.
  
  I just read the article that you linked to. Yep, the real racists see skin color in everything. I’d be willing to bet that he already had an attitude when the police pulled him over and started talking to him. The more he got agitated, the more the police ratcheted it up. Of course, if you ask Osama, I mean Obama (sorry, a Ted Kennedy slip), he would say that the police acted stupidly. It was a rather erractic driving move that he made, and if I was a police officer, he would have gotten pulled over too, but I would have given him a ticket.
  
  Report this comment
- kryptonite
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:48pm
  Yep, saw through the propaganda the minute I read this story. See my comment below.
  
  Report this comment
piper60
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:12pm
Nice to see that Somebody in Hollywierd has a heart and has a brain.

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- BlessedGirls2
  Posted on October 4, 2012 at 8:24pm
  Hollywood ? he lives in Atlanta
  
  Report this comment
SquidVetOhio
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:09pm
Tyler Perry is a good guy. I’ve been a fan of his for about 8 years before he got real famous. I was one of about 50 white people at his play “Madea Goes to Jail” in Cincinnati and it was one of the coolest shows I’ve ever seen. No racial tensions. Everybody having a good time.

I can’t explain why he supports Obama. Obama stands for everything is against. I don’t get it.

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- kryptonite
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:50pm
  Pardon my cynicism, but how about, they’re both black?
  
  Report this comment
- PurrrpleMtnMajesty
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:59pm
  I think most times it’s natural to help someone you find reminds you of yourself or of a loved one.
  
  Report this comment
- kryptonite
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 5:19pm
  @PURPLEMTNMAJESTY
  I think most times it’s natural to help someone you find reminds you of yourself or of a loved one.
  —
  That’s the black philosophy, all right. Not me. It was a Samaritan who helped the wounded Jew on the wayside (Luke 10:30-35)
  
  I’m sorry if I sound harsh, but this is the kind of Obama tactics that makes my blood boil. Perry is no different from Oprah. They cover up for Barack’s glaring disregard for blacks. I’ll take Bishop Jackson over this Obama fat cat anytime. The latter is trying to open the eyes of blind blacks. This guy wants them to stay on the Dim plantation.
  
  Report this comment
BrianL
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:04pm
Don’t know Perry’s political affiliation but his is a demonstration of what America is all about. Giving a hand up to a person who is down but not out. Doing so without trying to gain from a charitable act of kindness or having the government pointing a gun at your head to force you to do so.

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- RWCT
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:10pm
  Random acts of kindness NEVER go unrewarded by the Lord. Tyler is an inspiration us all
  
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- PATTY HENRY
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:11pm
  This is a DECENT and very, very, very Creatively Talented man who’s good deeds and good works represent his overall Philosophy of Christianity in person. Look at the ‘works’ of a person to determine their heart. I will always be happy to see his movies, they are funny and poignant too. This was a very DECENT act of kindness and I’m sure he did NOT seek publicity. GOOD guys are doing GOOD things like this all the time in AMERICA. Let’s hear more about acts like this ! Thank you.
  
  Report this comment
- LuvsYeshua
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 6:19pm
  @RWCT. You are wrong. In Matthew 6:1, Jesus says:
  
  “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
  
  Report this comment
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:55pm
We need more stories such as these – of true Americans who are helping one another out.

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floridareader
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:53pm
Goof for Tyler. But if he wasn’t a TV star, nobody would’ve known what he did. There are countless unknown heroes in America that do many things for total strangers. A sneak pick of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in their daily lives is now being aired by GAC channel.

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- floridareader
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:08pm
  sorry, instead of “goof” I meant “good”
  the GAC’s show is Great American Heroes
  
  Report this comment
PurrrpleMtnMajesty
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:34pm
So nice to have an actor that instead of putting on my “banned” list, I can say, I want MORE of!

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- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:52pm
  I agree. I knew there was a reason why I liked his movies. They aren’t full of foul-mouthed liberal trash.
  Kudos to Mr. Perry.
  
  Report this comment
Dismayed Veteran
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:33pm
For all the liberals out there, this is what charity looks like. Kind of different than an Obama phone.

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kryptonite
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:31pm
I will cheer the day I see a black person doing an incredible act of kindness for a white person.

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- XenaWP
  Posted on October 5, 2012 at 10:03am
  Haters will be hatein’
  
  Report this comment
stoptheliesbho
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:31pm
only thing about this that bothered me is that his official FB page blasted this news yesterday. the Bible says “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” I really hope the end goal wasn’t to glorify himself here and lift himself up in the eyes of man. i hope the end goal was to glorify God and legit help this sweet lady out. He DOES have a new movie coming out, you know….and P to the S – why does such a good Samaritan support Barack Obama? Seems like he has WAY more in common with the charitable Romney…

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- luvtexas95
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:52pm
  Agreed.
  
  Report this comment
- BlessedGirls2
  Posted on October 4, 2012 at 8:05pm
  OMG! what an idiot you are…
  
  Report this comment
Lovesmesomeglennbeck
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:27pm
Bravo to Tyler Perry, he is awesome!

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SIGNOFTHETIMES
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:26pm
May God Bless Mr Perry. Hey Obama this what being your neighbors keeper really means!!!

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vbell
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:25pm
Great feel good story. Kudos to you Tyler Perry. The world needs more of these acts of kindness.

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PurrrpleMtnMajesty
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:25pm
What a good & decent man; a fine example for all. God Bless him.

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- PurrrpleMtnMajesty
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:36pm
  Forgot to add that I hope the Lord blesses him and his family abundantly.
  I hope his career shines bright! Wow, an actor with compassion AND humility.
  You have to go far and wide to find one of them….I guess the same can be said for attornies.
  
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thibx
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:22pm
she has a job and lazy ass healthy people are paid by the government. it could not have happened to a better person.

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- right-wing-waco
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:36pm
  I agree, God bless her and Tyler Perry. In a world full of hate and aggression, acts of kindness are needed to reassure us that this is still America and some of us care about others.
  
  Report this comment
Gonzo
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:21pm
Very nice of him to help this one person, but he held a multi million dollar fundraiser at his house for Obama earlier this year that may hurt hundreds of millions of people.

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- stoptheliesbho
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:44pm
  yeah…not such a “feel good story” when you research Perry. and since he supports Obama, why didn’t he ask Obama to help her? isn’t government supposed to be bailing everyone out now? huh…i guess Beck’s “right-wing” assertion that it’s a personal responsibility to give to charity is one thing Tyler Perry “right-wing” agrees with.
  
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- neverending
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:00pm
  Yes he did and he is so deep in barry’s pocket he frankly makes me want to throw up. I am sure this will be turned around somehow to benefit barry.
  
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- kryptonite
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 4:53pm
  Ditto all three comments.
  
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- PurrrpleMtnMajesty
  Posted on October 3, 2012 at 5:03pm
  Sadly, it seems that today, there is little variation from the rule:
  “If it sounds too good to be true, it is.”
  I was disappointed to hear of the FB thing.
  I started watching him years ago & was so impressed that he was
  a man of God (supposedly has strong faith). I noticed his movies have
  tons more sexual innuendos, but compared to hollywood in general, still
  one of the more “family oriented”.
  He’s a good man, who needs prayer.
  Not unlike the rest of us.
  
  Have you ever thought you were absolutely right about something (no pun intended)
  only to find out later you terribly misjudged a situation or a person’s intent?
  Let’s pray the Lord will open Perry’s eyes to HIS Truth.
  
  Report this comment
- BlessedGirls2
  Posted on October 4, 2012 at 8:26pm
  The fundraiser may hurt ?
  
  Report this comment
RightThinking1
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 3:21pm
I’m confused…, shouldn’t the government have taken care of this?
Kudos to Perry. Now if he can just get Spike Lee on board….

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- BlessedGirls2
  Posted on October 4, 2012 at 8:26pm
  No! and yes you are confused
  
  Report this comment
- XenaWP
  Posted on October 5, 2012 at 10:15am
  Everyone clap for the designated troll on this thread, BlessedGirls2. Great effort, but you fell short. Better luck next time on your paid troll adventure. LOL
  
  Report this comment

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