Before death, shoeshiner donates $202,000 he made in tips all his life for sick children

Pittsburgh, Oct 23: Sometimes in life, even small gestures make a mammoth difference and see one leaving behind a memorable legacy. Albert Lexie, who worked for more than 30 years at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Children Hospital as a shoeshiner, recently passed away. But what he did before his death is something that melted the heart of each one who heard about it: he donated all the money he made in the form of tips from shining shoes. The amount stood at a staggering $202,000 (Rs 1.48 crore).

According to a report in TODAY, the donated amount will go to the children's hospital's Free Care Fund that provides medical care to uninsured and under-insured children in the Pittsburgh area.

On every Tuesday and Thursday, Lexie would take three buses from his home to the hospital where he worked as a shoeshiner, using a box which he built in the high school shop class as a teenager.

The veteran passed away in Pittsburgh on October 16 at the age of 76 but left behind an immortal legacy of kindness. "He is the perfect example of how small incremental acts of kindness can impact millions of people," the hospital's president was quoted as saying by TODAY.

Lexie has been a man of reputation. In 2010, he was honoured at the Major League Basketball All-Star Game. He has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame for Caring Americans.