Caitlin Clark Helped a Grieving Elderly Man on Christmas—Then His Lawyers Arrived!

On Christmas morning, Caitlyn Clark sought a peaceful moment to herself, hoping to enjoy her favorite meal at a local Italian restaurant. After a year filled with struggles, she had saved just enough to treat herself to a special meal, a small luxury she hadn’t indulged in for months. As she knelt in a quiet corner of the church, whispering a prayer for kindness and peace, she felt a flicker of excitement for the day ahead.

However, as she prepared to leave, Caitlyn noticed an elderly man sitting alone in a pew, his shoulders hunched and tears streaming down his face. Her heart tightened at the sight. She hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to approach, but her compassion won out. “Are you okay?” she asked softly, careful not to startle him.

The man looked up, surprised. “It’s nothing,” he replied, attempting a smile that couldn’t hide his sadness. Caitlyn sat beside him, offering her presence as a source of comfort. “Sometimes just sharing your thoughts can make everything feel a little lighter,” she said gently.

After a moment, the elderly man opened up. “I was hoping to spend Christmas with my family,” he murmured. “I visited my son and saw my grandson, but they turned me away. They said they had other plans.” His voice faltered, and Caitlyn felt her heart ache for him. “Now here I am, spending Christmas alone.”

“I’m so sorry,” Caitlyn said softly. “No one should feel like this, especially today.” She stayed by his side, and after a moment of silence, an idea flashed in her mind. She realized that the elderly man needed kindness and connection more than she needed her meal. “Wait here,” she said, rising to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”

Caitlyn walked briskly toward a nearby shop, determined to bring some small joy to the old man. She selected a steaming cup of coffee and a warm pastry, hoping they would offer him comfort. As she approached the counter, a vibrant Christmas card caught her eye. She picked it up and wrote a simple but hopeful message inside, reminding him that he was not alone this holiday.

After paying for the gifts, Caitlyn returned to the church, her heart filled with warmth. She approached the elderly man, who was still sitting there, lost in thought. “Here,” she said softly, extending the cup of coffee toward him. “This is for you.”

His weary eyes flickered with surprise. “You really came back?” he whispered, taking the coffee with trembling hands. Caitlyn placed the pastry and the Christmas card beside him. “I thought these might make your day a little better,” she said.

The elderly man opened the card and read her message. Tears welled in his eyes as he whispered, “You didn’t have to do this. It’s been a long time since anyone has shown me such kindness.” Caitlyn sat beside him, maintaining a respectful distance. “I just wanted to help. Today is Christmas; no one should have to feel lonely.”

As they shared the meal, the warmth of the food seemed to spread between them. The elderly man noticed the overdue bills on the side table and hesitated before speaking. “You’re very kind, but it seems like life is being difficult for you,” he said softly.

Caitlyn hesitated, then shared her story of losing her job after speaking out against unfair treatment at her company. The elderly man listened with empathy, and when she finished, he encouraged her not to lose hope. “Sometimes help comes when we least expect it,” he said.

After a heartfelt conversation, the elderly man stood up, thanked her once more, and left. Caitlyn sat alone, reflecting on their unexpected connection.

An hour later, as she worked on her freelance projects, a knock at the door startled her. When she opened it, she found the elderly man standing there, flanked by sharply dressed attorneys. “I wanted to see you again,” he said softly, handing her an envelope wrapped in decorative paper.

“This is for you,” he said. “You were kind to me when I needed it most, and now it’s my turn to help you.” Caitlyn stared at the envelope, trembling. “I didn’t do this for anything in return,” she whispered.

The elderly man smiled knowingly. “It’s because of your kindness that you deserve this. Open it.” Hesitantly, Caitlyn opened the envelope and gasped at the amount of money inside—enough to erase her hardships. “I can’t accept this; it’s too much,” she protested.

“This isn’t just about money,” he replied. “I know about your struggles. These are my lawyers. They’ll take your case and make sure you get what you deserve. You won’t have to fight alone anymore.”

Caitlyn’s mind spun as she realized the man she had seen as fragile was the president of a prestigious law firm. Months later, she stood outside the courthouse, holding the final documents from her lawsuit. She had won, and the company was forced to pay back every penny they owed her.

Looking back at the elderly man, Caitlyn felt immense gratitude. The kindness she had shown him had sparked a chain of events that changed her life forever. This Christmas, she learned that giving is a priceless gift, and sometimes, a small act of kindness can change a life.

Dwaine Clark woke up at 5:30 a.m. like he always did. On his way out the door for work, he kissed his wife, Carole, goodbye.

He never came home.

Dwaine had a heart attack that day and died suddenly.

For 19-plus years, Carole Clark has longed for her husband to be with her. Originally from Norwich, England, she met Dwaine – an Atlantic native – while he was stationed in Europe with the U.S. military. They married and came to the U.S. and lived in Indianola, where they had two children, sons Brent and Greg.

Dwaine Clark would have loved Saturday night in downtown Des Moines, where his granddaughter, University of Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, returned home to play in a women’s basketball showcase at Wells Fargo Arena. This might have been the highlight of his sports-fan career, to be honest.

Greg noted that Dwaine might still be gushing over Caitlin’s 38-point, jaw-dropping performance in which she made nine 3-pointers in the Hawkeyes’ 104-75 win against Cleveland State.

“He would have been so happy to be here,” Carole Clark said, with a tone of sadness. “He was proud of all his grandchildren, but I can only imagine if he were here.”

Carole has lived alone for 19 years and watches Caitlin on television every chance she gets. If it’s not on “the channels,” she said, she’ll tune in on radio.

But on Saturday, for the first time, she got to see her granddaughter play as a Hawkeye in person. This was also her first trip to Wells Fargo Arena. She doesn’t leave Indianola much, not because she can’t … but without Dwaine, it’s not the same.

“He would be so tickled,” Carole said. “I’m sure we would have gone to a lot more games. This wouldn’t have been my first if he was here.”

On this night, though, from her front-row seat in the Principal suite at Wells Fargo Arena, happiness was Carole’s prevalent emotion.

She was giddy to see her granddaughter coolly drop 3-pointers through the nets, deliver eye-popping passes to teammates and shrug to the crowd after her latest show-stopping moment.

Carole even got a chuckle when the entire crowd of 14,000-plus booed because her granddaughter was called for an offensive foul.

“That’s all part of the game,” she said, laughing.

Then, she added somewhat discretely, “When I’m at home, I can yell a bit more. I have to be a little bit more careful (in public).”

Grandma Clark loved seeing Molly Davis make a sweet pass.

She calls her “Mighty Mol.”

She thinks forward Hannah Stuelke (17 points, 13 rebounds on Saturday) can be a star.

“When I’m alone, I’ll say, ‘Get in there, Hannah,’” Carole said. “I think she can do it.”

Caitlin is the daughter of her oldest son, Brent Clark, who became a two-sport star at Simpson College.

To be clear: If Carole had never met Dwaine, there wouldn’t be a Caitlin Clark for all of us to watch and cherish in basketball games (and in TV commercials). Dwaine and Carole are important cogs in the growing Caitlin Clark story.

“You’ve got to get that right,” Carole said with a sweet chuckle.

Greg Clark, her youngest son, helped Carole get to Saturday’s game. Greg would like to see more of Caitlin’s games in person himself, but his schedule is unpredictable and busy as a Des Moines firefighter, a job he’s held for nearly 25 years.

Bringing Carole here, he said, “was a big deal.” And it wasn’t easy. Tickets for this event sold out in under 90 minutes, and Carole missed out in the rush. Thanks to Brent’s connections, he was able to get her into the game with Principal.

Greg Clark beamed as he spoke about Carole’s joy in seeing Caitlin play in person. Caitlin was 2½ years old when her grandfather died.

“I can see how proud she is of her accomplishments,” Greg said.

He also knew Caitlin had some unfinished business at Wells Fargo Arena. She went 1-3 here as a Dowling Catholic player, her last game here was a loss as a junior in the state tournament semifinals. Caitlin shot 12-for-33 in that game.

On Saturday, she was a dazzling 13-for-21, including 9-for-16 on 3-pointers. The crowd roared with approval at her every successful move or shot.

“Probably my best shooting performance ever in Wells Fargo Arena, I don’t remember too many previously,” Clark deadpanned with her trademark smile.

Even in a blowout, this game had electricity from start to finish, with each person in attendance cherishing every moment.

Caitlin did, too, and noted that her mom, Anne, always jokes that she plays better with more family in town.

Head coach Lisa Bluder heard that and remarked that maybe they need to organize a bus of Clarks to every Hawkeye game.

“Really fun that they were able to come,” Clark said of her grandma and huge Des Moines contingent. “I’m not sure exactly where they were, but I know they were cheering pretty loud. It’s really special for me to be able to come back here.”

Going forward, Carole Clark will keep watching her granddaughter on TV.

But on this night, she had a treasured, unforgettable view.

“This is amazing,” Carole said. “It’s always been my goal to come see her.”