Manuel Sanchez: Recycling Truck Driver With a Heart of Gold

If you haven't seen this yet, it's well worth the view.

In the video, Manuel Sanchez, a recycling collector in Southern California, wins over the heart of a 5-year-old boy named Daniel Mulligan.

Daniel, who is autistic, runs to greet the truck as it arrives and waves his hands, seeming in sync with with the truck's movements. But before Sanchez drives off, he asks if he can give Daniel a present and then emerges from his vehicle with a toy garbage truck. 

Daniel is dumbfounded.

Daniel's mother recounted on Facebook, "One man, one moment, touching the life of an autistic child. Our hearts are overflowing... Daniel loves trash trucks. He waits all week for Monday morning pickup. He knows exactly which cans are being picked up each week. Our recycle man, known only to us as Manuel, is his favorite. He always has a big smile for Daniel, who is faithfully waiting for him every Monday. This morning threw him off a bit! He asks me if Manuel is going to get back into the truck because the routine has suddenly changed. To him, trash pickup is like a symphony. You hear me on the video explaining to (Manuel) that Daniel had his truck and it broke. It makes it all the more amazing."

Since being posted, the video has garnered more than 1.4 million views with the story getting picked up by media outlets across the world.

Manuel drives for E.J. Harrison & Sons and the Ventura-based company. The firm has posted about the episode on its own site.

Watch the video below.