Almost ten months ago, flooding in the Valencian Community claimed the lives of 227 people and left a lasting impact on local residents. During those difficult days, many received support from volunteers across Spain. One of these stories has once again reminded us of the power of human kindness.
Toni Romano, a resident of Paiporta in the province of Valencia, decided to fulfill a long-standing promise. With the summer holidays approaching, he remembered the man who had helped his family and neighbors immediately after the tragedy. Ten days after the flood, Toni first met Iñaki—a 70-year-old volunteer from the Basque Country who had come to L’Horta Sud to support those affected.
Their meeting happened by chance: in a bar that had just reopened after the disaster, Iñaki approached Toni and his sister, inviting them to join his table and treating them to jamón and wine. Over the next few days, they met a couple more times, shared stories, laughed, and supported each other. At that time, Toni promised that one day he would find Iñaki and thank him in person.
But after the volunteer left, Toni had neither his phone number nor his exact address. The only thing he remembered was the name of a small Basque village, Berastegi, home to about 1,100 people. Months later, Toni decided to search for him. He called the village, explained the situation, and soon made contact with Iñaki’s son. Together, they organized a surprise for the volunteer.
After covering almost 600 kilometers and six hours on the road, Toni arrived in Berastegi. The meeting was deeply emotional: at first, Iñaki didn’t immediately recognize his guest, but then exclaimed with joy as memories from last summer came back. Relatives and friends of the Basque volunteer gathered around the festive table. On this day, they once again shared memories, laughed, and didn’t hold back tears.
After the meeting, Iñaki invited Toni and his family to the local gastronomic society and showed them his home. Saying goodbye was difficult— the host did not want to let his guests leave, and Toni admitted he remained moved all the way home.
The story quickly spread across social media after Toni’s daughter, Cristina Romano, published a video about the trip on TikTok. The clip gained over 900,000 views and sparked a wave of responses. Many users noted that such actions serve as a reminder of the importance of mutual assistance and human gratitude.
Toni himself emphasizes that the main hero of this story remains Iñaki—a person who spared neither time nor effort to help strangers in a difficult moment. His act has become an example for many and once again proved that true solidarity knows no boundaries.
