When Raymond Dunn was born in 1975, doctors thought he would only live a few days.

Born with severe physical defects, Dunn could not speak or see.

He did not grow normally, and as a teenager he weighed less than 40 pounds.

But his family’s determined love and care kept him alive.

One of the biggest obstacles was finding something Dunn could eat.

He was allergic to almost all foods, except for a special Gerber baby food known as MBF. The problem was that with little demand for the product, Gerber discontinued it in 1985.

The family bought up all they could from around the country, but eventually the supply began to dwindle. After a desperate appeal, Gerber employees volunteered their time and the company donated the materials and allowed the machines to be set up for a special run.

Every two years for the rest of Raymond’s life, the company would fire up the production line to turn out a new supply of MBF for the “Gerber Boy” as he came to be called.

“It seemed like the right thing to do,” said Dr. Sandra Bartholmey, a Gerber nutritionist.

Raymond Dunn lived to be almost 20 years old because of kindness shown to him and his family.

Ephesians 4:32a tells us to be “kind one to another.”

Would you call yourself a kind person? Would others around you say you are a kind and loving person?

If you look around today, you will easily find people who are desperate for a kind and encouraging word — give it to them.