Tweet Shows Husband's Kind Gesture During Wife's Thyroid Cancer Isolation

Going through treatment for a chronic health condition can be tough, but having supportive loved ones to help you through can help make things a bit easier. A popular tweet from Mackenna Newman, a 17-year-old from California whose mom, Marci, is currently going through treatment for thyroid cancer, shows just how meaningful kind acts can be.

My mom has to stay in her room in isolation for her cancer radiation so my dad set up a desk at her door to keep her company and I’m crying pic.twitter.com/rucH9HfDvk

— kenna (@mackenna_newman) April 14, 2017

The tweet, which has been favorited almost 4,000 times, shows Newman’s dad, Jon, sitting outside her mother’s door while she is isolated as part of her radiation treatment.

“Jon goes to every doctor’s appointment, every blood test, every surgery, every radiation,” Mackenna’s mom told BuzzFeed News. “And, as you can see, if he can’t be by my side he is as close as he can get!”

We asked our community what’s the nicest thing someone has done to help them deal with their illness? Here’s what they had to say: 

“I was on a first date with the sweetest guy in the world. He knew I was sick, but I don’t think he realized how bad. He showed up to my house and didn’t even blink when I asked him to carry my walker to the car. When we got to the restaurant, I was trying to organize my purse and get my handicapped placard out to hang in the car. I was so focused on that, I wasn’t paying any attention to him. When I turned around, he opened the door for me and he had my walker all set up and waiting for me. I didn’t ask or tell him to even get it out of the car. He just set it up and didn’t even mention it. It was like my illness wasn’t a thing and that everything was normal. That night, I was able to forget my illness and just focus on being a young woman on a first date. I hadn’t been able to do that for months.” – Katherine H.

“I can no longer function as a fly fishing guide. I couldn’t fish for a full day if I wanted too. Recently, many of my long time clients have called and offered to take me fishing for an hour or two. That’s been pretty special. You’re never sure of the impact you’ve had on people until this sort of thing happens. Clients offering to serve me is just surreal.” – Patrick C.

“An old acquaintance from high school I haven’t spoken to in 20 years and we’re barely Facebook ‘friends’ saw that I was having a hard time financially and she paid my phone bill. No questions. Just did it. Amazing! Not only dealing with paying one less bill and making the payment itself but the immediate impact. She cared. She fixed a problem. She made me cry. It was mind blowing and heart warming.” – Krista I.

“I got text over Easter weekend from a neighbor asking if I would mind if he came over and cut my grass. Not only did he cut the grass, but used the weed eater and blew all the clippings off the walkways. He said he noticed that the yard was getting tall and knew I had been ill and just wanted to help. He wouldn’t even let me cover the gas. We need more people with a heart like this.” – Linda A.

“When I first got sick and had to stay in the hospital for almost a month my awesome coworkers made a basket of toys and games for my kids to keep busy and also put money together to buy a gas card for my husband so he could drive to work every day and come back to stay with me every night without having to worry about paying for gas since I couldn’t work.” – Doreen B.

“I recently stayed on my own for just over six weeks. My friends and family rallied together to come at regular intervals, do my grocery shopping, clean the house, help me make food to store in the freezer (doing all the dishes) and make sure I wasn’t otherwise moldering away in a corner somewhere. Awesome!” – Arria D.

“My sister checks in with me every day just to see how I’m doing. Chronic illness can be so isolating that it means the world to me to have her to talk to. As much as I hate being ill, it has brought us to a new level of closeness and I am so grateful for that.” – Tera A.

“A friend took me to my colonoscopy, told me I made adult diapers look hot, waited around for over three boring hours, drove almost an hour each way, and made it seem as if it was any other day, just enjoying hanging out. Or the similar experience today: another friend took me to a follow-up appointment after bowel resection surgery, got me tea, and relished in the opportunity to catch up while driving back and forth and hanging out in the waiting room. I’m one lucky Crohnie.” – Amber F.

“After I had surgery, my cousins and daughter ordered Chinese food and sat with me in my bed having dinner. They called it the Asian picnic. It made me feel so loved. And after we all passed out together with a food coma.” – Rosie L.