An Oceanside man made a huge impact on a woman by "paying it forward" the day before he died in a car accident.
Jamie-Lynne Knighten of Carlsbad met 28-year-old Matthew Jackson of Oceanside at a San Diego Trader Joe's on Nov. 11; this after a difficult day of traveling with her two young children.
Knighten's credit card was declined while her 5-month-old son was crying in her arms. Jackson stepped in to "pay it forward." At first, Knighten rejected his offer, but soon changed her mind.
"I came to realize how much it would mean to him if I humbly accepted. So I did," Knighten wrote on her Facebook. "And this complete stranger paid over $200 for my groceries. Thanking him endlessly through my tears, I asked his name and where he worked before parting ways."
When Knighten finally got around to calling his employer in an effort to send a thank you note, she learned that hours after her encounter with Jackson, he had died in a car accident, that same night of Nov. 11.
Knighten was so moved by the whole experience that she has undergone multiple efforts to honor Matthew by encouraging others to pay it forward.
Jackson grew up in Arizona and graduated from Valley Christian High School in Chandler in 2005.
