The Mighty Logo

The Unexpected Way This Grocery Clerk Brightened One Special Needs Mom's Day

The most helpful emails in health
Browse our free newsletters

When Kimberly Grandinette went to a Meijer grocery store on Sunday morning near her home in Enon, Ohio, she was having a rough day. Her 17-month-old son, who has hydronephrosis and a compromised immune system, was in the hospital, and her 3-year-old son had been having a hard time adjusting to all the stress at home.

When Grandinette and her older son made their way to checkout, he asked the clerk, Kristen Clark, if he could help scan coupons. Without even thinking about it, Clark said yes and scooped him up in her arms.

11049505_1027169310638800_4282029199160486631_o
Image courtesy of Kimberly Grandinette

“I was really surprised,” Grandinette told The Mighty. “I was not expecting her to grab him and put her on her hip, and she was incredibly patient with him. I didn’t expect that level of kindness. I had never even met this woman before.”

But for Clark, it felt like the natural thing to do.

“I come across a lot of people; some are having good days and some are having bad days, and you never know what they’re going through,” she told The Mighty. “Anything to make them leave with a smile on their face. That’s the greatest reward, just knowing that you can just change someone’s day.”

Grandinette was so moved by the gesture, she posted the photo above on Meijer’s Facebook page, which has since been shared more than 11,000 times. Grandinette wrote, “Thank you, Kristen, for making my son’s day (and my day!) a bit brighter.”

Grandinette told The Mighty that every time her youngest son gets sick it’s a scare for the family, as he also has reactive airway disease, which makes it difficult for him to breathe. He’s since been discharged from the hospital, and Grandinette hopes he will finally get to spend a Christmas at home.

h/t Love What Matters

Originally published: December 17, 2015
Want more of The Mighty?
You can find even more stories on our Home page. There, you’ll also find thoughts and questions by our community.
Take Me Home