Ohio man hopes to heal hurting hearts in wake of London tornado devastation

LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Around the destroyed areas in London are spray-painted signs with messages of hope.

The responsible man sits on Keavy Road, just steps away from the destruction of the tornado.

He tips his cowboy hat to folks passing by.

His name is David Graham, but he is better known as “Cowboy Dave.”

“God has put on my heart to share people’s burdens, and that’s what I do,” he said.

Cowboy Dave is the founder of Hearts Hurt. For more than 20 years, he’s gone out to more than 40 natural disasters across the country, delivering supplies to people in need.

But more than that, he’s acted as a friend and a source of support for people during the hardest times of their lives.

“Everyone has seen me since the first full day, and they’ll see me for another 30 days,” he said. “People might’ve wondered, is this guy homeless? Is he in town? Is he a contractor? Is he a lawyer? What’s his deal? And eventually they come to realize Cowboy cares. I really do.”

Next to his setup sits a row of white wooden crosses. They stand at about three feet tall. Each one has the name of a life taken by the tornado.

“It’s about the people and the names on here. And the fact that not only did people die here, but people’s spirits died here, and their hopes died here,” Cowboy Dave told FOX 56.

He said the crosses were put in place by people from North Carolina who were moved by the help they received from Kentuckians in the past after natural disasters of their own.

Cowboy Dave said he’s not going anywhere.

“I said I’m right here. If something blows down, a flag gets crooked, anything. If people need help, I will be here. I’ll make sure until they take their cross away. I’ll be here until the last cross is gone.”

As the debris clears and headlines fade, Cowboy Dave will live up to the mission printed on the side of his truck: ‘Hurting hearts do not have to hurt forever.’