Preloading

What Would You Do If Your Debt Were Wiped Clean?

Aired on 05/02/1997 | CC tv-pg
In a letter to The Oprah Winfrey Show, Mattie Butler told her story of domestic abuse, writing that her spirit had been crushed by her former husband. Mattie, a retired police officer, knew she had to escape, so she ended her 13-year marriage and enrolled in college with no money and no job but with a new faith in herself. She graduated college at the same time that her daughter graduated high school, and they celebrated.

After hearing Mattie's story, Oprah felt the hardworking mom deserved a break. She gave Mattie a two-week getaway to a spa in Miami and—much to Mattie's surprise—paid off every cent of her $58,000 in debt. Watch the video above for the shocking reveal.

Original airdate: May 2, 1997