From paying it forward to eBaying it forward.

Most of us have decided to make a little extra money by selling on eBay some of those unused items we have lying around the house. That's what Gregg and Brittiny Peters of Gainesville, Georgia, decided to do when their medical bills started building up. In April 2008, their two-year-old son was diagnosed with autism and with sensory and gastrointestinal disorders. On top of that, in the summer their seven-year-old daughter was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. Then the Peters' medical expenses jumped to $2,000 a month.

After incurring over $10,000 in medical debt just over the past several months, the couple started joking about selling all their possessions, except for their home, on eBay. And in January they decided, Why not? So they listed all their belongings--valued at around $40,000--on the auction site; the items ranged from DVDs to furniture to a 2000 Chevy Tahoe.

And lo and behold, on Thursday, January 29, they got a bid--for $20,000. They accepted it and went to bed that night fully prepared to pack everything up for shipping the next day.

However, in the morning the buyer, Donnia Blair, called to report that she did not want any of the items. The Associated Press reported on January 30 that the Peters at first were appalled at taking a "handout," insisting that their intent was simply to "start over." They even tried to retract the bid.

But Donnia and her husband, Keith, of Fort Worth, Texas, would not hear of it. "They've worked really hard to get those things and we're in a position to help them," Donnia told the AP. "She can just act like they're my storage facility.... We've really been blessed the last few years and we saw an opportunity to help." The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports

that the two families conversed several times throughout Friday, and the Blairs prevailed; the Peters received the money Saturday morning, and will keep their belongings.

Brittiny and Donnia say they are now "new best friends." Putting the Blairs' generosity in the context of "paying it forward," the Peters are trying to figure out how they can help someone else in need. "We really feel like it's our obligation now to take the blessings the Blairs have given us, pass them on and bless some other people like they've blessed us," Brittiny said.