But then a kind stranger in front of her in line offered to pay--the whole bill.
She had no idea who the stranger was until a cashier clued her in: It was the rapper Ludacris.
Therra Gwyn-Jaramillo has been "struggling on and off," since her beloved husband died of cancer in the summer of 2014.
"There wasn't a part of my life that wasn't destroyed - emotional, physical, financial," Gwyn-Jaramillo told CBS News.
She was left to take care of "a practical menagerie of rescued animals," her disabled brother and her home.
Thankfully, a friend stepped in to help and provided her with a $250 Whole Foods gift card. »