Stranger's Gesture Touches Family with Special Needs Child

A family from North Carolina received a touching message from a stranger while dining out recently. According to an article in the Daily Mail, Ashley England enjoyed a dinner with her eight-year-old son Riley. Non-verbal and suffering from epilepsy, Riley became disruptive during the meal, banging on the table.

But instead of staring or making a rude comment, a stranger footed the family's entire bill, then sent over a note saying, "God only gives special children to special people."

What a tonic this is, compared with the vile note that was recently sent to this Ontario family.

Not surprisingly, England was tearful upon reading the note. Her son has had three major brain surgeries for epilepsy and tends to get rowdy when he struggles to communicate.

"The past few weeks have been very hard and trying for us—especially with public outings," she said. "Riley was getting loud and hitting the table and I know it was aggravating to some people."

As most parents—particularly those special needs children—know, eating out can be a real struggle.

"To have someone do that small act towards us shows that some people absolutely understand what we are going through and how hard it is to face the public sometimes," said England, who know wants to "track down" her benefactor to thank him personally for his kind gesture.

Ever been the recipient of a random act of kindness, as this woman was? Do tell. Who knows, you may inspire someone to do the same...