This is one of those powerful stories that restores your faith in humanity. It’s a story about an incredible act of honesty that completely changed a man’s life. It starts with Adam, a man who had been homeless for three years in Edmonton, Alberta. He survived by searching through dumpsters for things to sell. One cold morning, he found an old, framed picture. He had no idea it was a rare piece of Disney history. He sold it to a local antique shop for $20, and that should have been the end of the story. But it wasn’t.
The $3,700 Discovery
Adam brought the dusty frame to Commodity Inc., an antique shop owned by Alex Archbold. Alex paid Adam $20 for it, thinking it was just a nice little print. Neither of them knew what Adam had really found.
It was only later, when Alex did some research, that he realized the truth. The picture was an original, authenticated animation cel from the 1942 Disney classic Bambi. It was a true piece of history. Alex put it up for sale on eBay, and collectors went wild. The auction ended at a stunning $3,700.
This is the point where the story could have ended. Alex had made a huge profit. He had bought the item fairly, and no one would have ever known the difference. But he couldn’t keep the money.
“I knew right away that the money wasn’t really mine,” Alex later told CBC News. “That picture came from Adam. He found it. It was his discovery. It was only right to share it.”
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The Search
But there was one huge problem: how do you find a homeless man in a giant city? Adam had no phone, no address, and no way to be contacted.
So, Alex started searching. For three long weeks, he drove through the city’s alleys, visited shelters, and asked everyone he could if they had seen Adam. He refused to give up.
Finally, one day, Adam walked back into the shop, completely unaware, hoping to sell another small trinket he had found. Alex’s eyes lit up. He reminded Adam of the Bambi picture he had sold him weeks earlier. Then, he reached under the counter and pulled out a manila envelope.
A Life-Changing Moment
Inside was $1,600 in cash (Adam’s half of the sale) plus an extra $100 from Alex’s own pocket as a gift.
Adam just stared at the money. He was in stunned silence. After years of loss, he couldn’t believe what was happening. “You’re kidding,” he whispered.
That one incredible act of honesty changed everything for Adam. He used that money to get a motel room—his first real bed in years. He started making plans to go home to Ontario to see his mother and four children. For the first time in a long time, he had hope.
But Alex didn’t stop there. He set up a GoFundMe campaign to share Adam’s story and help him get a real fresh start. We often see touching stories about people rescuing lost animals, but this was a story of one person rescuing another person’s hope. The fundraiser, which had a goal of $10,000, was flooded with donations and passed that goal in just a few days.
That rare Bambi frame, found in a dumpster, became a symbol. It’s not a story about money or luck. It’s a story about decency, and how one choice to do the right thing can give someone back their life.
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