Fred Cowens Jr., a Deaf Man Gets Lift From a Stranger When he Needs it Most

Jesse Crum was finishing up work for the day when a stranger walked through his office door.

“He was just covered in sweat,” Crum, a real estate advisor at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty in Bonita Springs, said. “It was a hot day.”

The stranger asked for a pen and paper, which he used to write Jesse a simple note: “My name is Fred and I’m deaf.” He later explained he had missed his bus and needed help getting home.

“He seemed like someone who needed a helping hand and I was happy to help,” Crum said.

Crum eventually learned Fred Cowens Jr. worked at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point down the road from the real estate office. After their first ride together, Crum and Cowens Jr. learned they have several things in common including a love of sports and literature by Stephen King.

“I was kind of taken aback,” Crum said. As their friendship grew, Crum even purchased several Stephen King novels for Cowens Jr. for Christmas.

“I feel incredibly lucky,” Cowens Jr. said. “I think at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re deaf or hearing, we’re all humans,” Cowens Jr. said.