Sometimes the world can feel like a cruel place – but often, in those times of sadness, it is an expected kind act that renews our faith in humanity.
That was certainly the case for Sarah Heller who was on the receiving end of a very kind surprise from a stranger following cruel comments about her newborn son.
The 26-year-old was 24 weeks pregnant when she found out that her baby had a cleft lip and palate.
This occurs when tissues don’t fuse properly during pregnancy, and children often have various surgeries later in life in order to help them talk and eat.
Although Sarah and her husband, Chris, 30, were shocked by the news they were determined to raise awareness of the condition.
“We wanted to change what ultrasound/newborn/first year pictures on our Facebook/Instagram accounts looked like,” Sarah told Today.
With that in mind, the couple happily shared pictures of their bundle of joy on social media.
However, not all responses to the pictures were positive.
Heller recalls one person commenting on a picture of baby Brody a few days before New Year’s Eve, saying: “What’s wrong with his face?”
Sarah and Chris were hurt by the comment, but were determined to educate others about the condition.
“This is what I want Brody to do in the future … educate, to be an advocate for younger cleft kids who don’t have their voice yet,” Sarah explained.
However, that evening Sarah went for dinner with baby Brody and some friends, and was completely gobsmacked when the waiter handed her a piece of paper from another table.
It was a cheque for $1000 (£800), with a note saying: “For the beautiful baby.”
“Tears fell from my eyes immediately and the happiness my heart felt is indescribable,” Sarah said.
The donation helped to pay for some of Brody’s medical expenses, and the brave little boy had a second lip procedure in January.
“This experience has shown us just how strong the cleft community is.
“We’ve been contacted by people all over the country … they are praying for us and asking us to reach out if we need anything.”
What a beautiful story to restore your faith in humanity!
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