DETROIT (WXYZ) — Everyone calls her Edge and she's known for her friendly spirit and her faith in God. And on Mother's Day, the mother of two received quite the surprise while on duty as a traffic controller for the Detroit Police Department.
Edge works directing the flow of traffic for special events. And, on Sunday, she was on Woodward Avenue helping direct pedestrians for the Tigers game when she was approached by a stranger.
Edge had never met Zachery Dereniowski but he's well known on social media platforms including TikTok as mdmotivator where he has over 16 million followers.
Zachery's first surprise was a ticket to see the game, but Edge said she was too busy to stop working. So, Zachery cleared with her supervisor.
Edge was stunned and grateful.
"Being able to come off my feet, you know, for a minute. And then I couldn't believe it. I kept telling myself, 'You got to wake up. You got to wake up' because it just seemed unreal," Edge told 7 Action News.
But Zachery wasn't done with his surprises. He then gifted her with $500. Edge teared up and began to praise God.
Edge said it was just the night before that she prayed about her financial struggle.
"It was a lot. Even though for some people, it's only $500, it was a miracle for me in that moment," she said. "So, I couldn't help but say, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus."
"God uses wonderful people every day," said Edge. "I didn't know this man from Adam but God used him to be a blessing to me. I couldn't thank him enough. I couldn't give God thanks enough."
What Edge didn't know is that Zachery had also started a GoFundMe to continue to help Edge.
"Let's all come together and show Edge and her family the power of the internet and bless this family for Mother's Day weekend," Zachery wrote. "100% of the funds raised will go towards paying rent, food bills, and helping her son's with their education. Be kind and love always ❤️."
