In a windfall of sorts, a woman - Jennifer Vasilakos - sitting at her stall at the roadside in Santa Barbara, California, to raise money for a stem cell treatment for saving her kidneys ended up with an amount of $US20,000 for the treatment --- thanks to a lost traveler to whom she gave directions!

In a blog post about the incident, Vasilakos said that she was seeking donations for a stem cell treatment which was unavailable in the US; and, one day, a `lost' stranger pulled up an ordinary-looking car to the roadside and asked her for directions.

While giving him directions, Vasilakos also handing him her flyer; and he made a fifty dollar donation before driving off.

However, in about an hour, the stranger returned, introduced himself as Ty Warner - the billionaire founder of the Beanie Babies stuffed toys company - and said that her "fundraising was done." He soon sent her a cheque for $US20,000 to cover the cost of the treatment she required and the related expenses.

While Vasilakos said in her post that she "might have all that I need to claim my life back," Warner said in a public statement that, via his stem cell treatment gift to Vasilakos, he wanted to raise awareness about the treatment, which shockingly, was not available in the US.

In his statement, Warner said: "My hope is that we can bring this lifesaving treatment to the forefront so that it can become more readily available and provide alternatives for people like Jennifer."