Sometimes the world hands you a story so heavy you need to sit down, and then someone does something decent enough to make you stand back up again. Six months after former WBRC Fox 6 sports reporter Christina Chambers and her husband Johnny Rimes were found dead in their Hoover, Alabama home in what authorities called a murder-suicide, a company stepped up to brighten a little boy's birthday.
As The American Tribune reported, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama surprised Chambers' son, Constantine, with a brand new bike for his fourth birthday. The gesture was revealed by Rick Karle, a veteran reporter and close friend of Chambers, in a Facebook post that would make even the most emotionally guarded news consumer reach for a tissue.
"I'd like to give a shout out to the good folks at the corporate communications division at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, who surprised Constantine with a new bike on his birthday last weekend," Karle wrote. He added, "May Constantine enjoy his new ride and the wind in his face. May that wind carry Christina's spirit his way."
That is the kind of line that makes you want to go outside, look at the sky, and just breathe for a minute.
The tragedy unfolded last December when Rimes' father arrived at the couple's home after they failed to show up at a church event. According to a Fox News report, the three year old boy opened the front door and let his grandfather inside, where he discovered the horrific scene. Constantine was mercifully unharmed.
Neighbor Charles Maple did not hold back when describing Chambers. "I cried. I cried because, you know, like I said, when you when you see somebody that is that special, I don't know how you couldn't," Maple told media at the time.
WBRC Fox 6 also honored their former colleague, with a spokesperson saying, "Christina was a valued member of our newsroom and a beloved colleague whose warmth, humor, and passion for sports left a lasting impact on everyone who worked with her."
Karle's post painted a fuller picture of who Chambers was: a talented reporter, a teacher at Thompson High School, a world class marathoner, and above all, a wonderful mother. The kind of person who apparently made an impression on everyone she crossed paths with, from newsroom colleagues to corporate communications teams at insurance companies.
The comment section on Karle's post became its own little memorial. One commenter noted that Miss Jefferson County was honoring Chambers with an Impact Award. Others offered prayers for Constantine and praise for the BCBS team.
In a world where companies routinely spend millions trying to convince you they care about people, delivering a bike to a four year old who lost his mom costs almost nothing and says almost everything. Corporate America, take notes. This is how you do it.
Read more American news stories at: The American Tribune
