Thief Takes Woman’s Purse, But The Incident Ends Up Helping Her Save A Life

This was the real-life situation Kaitlyn Smith faced when her purse was stolen. Little did she know that her encounter would also change her life—and someone else’s—forever.

Fortunately, the house was guarded by her dog. As it barked the thief away, the intruder quickly fled. Unfortunately, he took with him Smith’s beloved purse. Smith canceled all her credit cards immediately, but she knew she would never see her purse again.

The only people he could turn to were those he worked for—drug dealers. Though desperate, he was determined to break off his relationship with the dealers. Being an addict for so long, he felt his life had no more value. But something compelled him to fight and never give up.

He was about to walk away when he felt there was a voice telling him to do the right thing and return the purse to its rightful owner. It was then that he decided to start the journey that would alter the course of his life.

Still, this did not stop him from finding a way. For some reason, he felt determined to reach the owner despite it being located on the far side of town. Luckily, a stranger bought him a subway pass.

He continued to walk despite feeling exhausted. He couldn’t help but think that he had missed an opportunity to get some easy cash in exchange for selling the purse. But this didn’t deter him—he knew he had to fulfill his goal.

She saw a man dressed in rags walking towards her while clutching her stolen purse. Stunned, she approached the stranger and attempted to make an offer. But to her surprise, the man declared that the bag belonged to a woman he was trying to reach.

Moved by his selflessness, Smith decided to repay his generosity by gifting him a new sleeping bag, clothes, a sturdy backpack, and a flashlight. She also drove him back to the other side of town. During the car ride, the two strangers talked about their lives.

When she spoke to CBS 8, Smith recounted how she wanted to help McCoy secure employment with her contractor. At that time, the contractor was seeking a hardworking day laborer. But to her surprise, McCoy humbly declined the job offer, confessing his crippling struggle with addiction.

He also secured a home and a car. Most importantly, he had the privilege of raising his daughter. But fate dealt a cruel blow in 2012 when a catastrophic car accident erased all the progress he had made.

As his home slipped away, he re-discovered heroin. His descent to addiction was swift and merciless. When he hit rock bottom, he had to rely on a relative for support but was kicked out when his addiction became uncontrollable. He found himself at the mercy of street dealers.

He told her he wanted to be a part of his daughter’s life. He felt miserable as an addict and wanted to be free. McCoy revealed that two weeks before he met Smith, he cried out to the heavens and declared to God that he could no longer continue to live in misery.

Smith gave McCoy her phone number and an incredible proposal. She volunteered to buy him a plane ticket to Florida to start his healing journey. It was her way of expressing her deep appreciation for McCoy’s efforts to return her purse.

McCoy shared that the mother of his daughter granted him a chance to see his little girl once again. First, however, a condition must be met—he needed to seek treatment, get clean, and get his life in order. Smith wasted no time and drove McCoy to the airport.

Smith even created a GoFundMe page on McCoy’s behalf to raise funds for his transition out of rehab. She discovered that there was a lack of support available to those in recovery after their rehab program ended.

Smith also learned about the broken system McCoy and others like him were in. She saw how addicts were rarely given help or off-ramps and how such a situation prevented them from recovering fully. But through her tireless efforts, things were going to change.

However, Smith’s commitment to him never wavered. She stood steadfast in her belief that addiction is a disease, not a reflection of one’s character. She stayed by his side for every step of his 90-day journey toward recovery.

Smith made sure she offered an unwavering commitment to McCoy’s sobriety. She stood by his side through the first 90 days and well beyond. Smith’s tireless efforts served as a beacon of hope to those who are still in the grip of addiction.

Fortunately, Smith didn’t give up on him. She waged a battle to reinstate McCoy’s insurance. Though the odds seemed insurmountable, she fought tirelessly to see her friend achieve a brighter future.

McCoy then swam in the ocean and felt like the waters baptized him to become a new person. Smith and McCoy could not believe the support he received from those who were aware of his story.

When Smith saw McCoy’s determination to stay sober, his steadfastness inspired her to commit to the virtues both agreed on to make his recovery possible—they were to regularly practice honesty and give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Smith described how he would regularly imagine putting up his lawn care business as well as living in a house with his daughter. Such a goal aided McCoy in taking his recovery seriously. It had to come one day at a time.

McCoy himself also sent his supporters regular messages about how far along he was in his sobriety. He also acknowledged Smith’s compassion as essential for giving him hope to push on and never give up. Addiction can rarely be tackled alone—it’s a disease that takes a whole community to help fix.

His initial objective was to simply not feel sick each day. To further complete his transformation, he had to use the funds collected to go to Baltimore, as McCoy’s halfway house hardly provided enough medical and mental support.

Through it all, McCoy and Smith’s friendship remained strong. Smith continued to support his sobriety. McCoy also enrolled in an outpatient program for 90 days at Maryland’s John Hopkins. Eventually, he tried to rebuild his landscaping business.

Through it all, he kept his supporters updated on his progress. He issued a request to anyone who wanted to continually support him, asking them to hire him for work after the winter season—he was an expert and professional landscaper, after all.

McCoy was devastated about losing his vehicle. Still, he believed that things happened for a reason and that if this were a test, he would pass it no matter what it took. McCoy plodded on, and Smith similarly supported McCoy’s efforts to push forward with a positive mindset.

Meanwhile, McCoy and Smith continued to be good friends. Smith believes that she met McCoy for a reason. At the very least, he helped her understand that addiction is not a choice but a disease—and that it can be treated with compassion—and on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, Smith’s life was similarly changed. Her unexpected relationship with a former addict opened her eyes to the realities of addiction. It also gave her a new purpose in life. She eventually quit her medical sales job to do something more meaningful.

Her responsibilities now include going to hospitals to talk to social workers, clinicians, and case managers to assist them in identifying those who have addictions so that those left behind can find their way back to health and society. It’s not always easy, but the service she provides is priceless.

AAdvocate’s goal is to support anyone struggling with addiction by providing them with housing, transportation, and employment. Its creation was borne out of Smith’s belief that guidance should be available to those freshly discharged from rehab facilities. The organization supports those in recovery in the Baltimore area.