Taking the family out to eat is a simple pleasure for most of us. We can just get in the car and drop by a restaurant at our convenience. But for one Texas family, sitting down to a meal at a favorite restaurant has been an unattainable luxury for a while, out of concern for a little girl’s health.
Since 3-year-old Adelaide Stanley was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in July 2019, her family has tried to keep Adelaide away from potential illness by avoiding crowded restaurants and other places where she might pick up germs.
“A simple common cold would put her into the hospital,” Adelaide’s mom Vanlam Nguyen told “Good Morning America.” “As a parent with a kid who has leukemia, I try to keep her in a bubble.”
But one day, Adelaide and her dad Jordan Stanley, were in the car when the little girl pointed at her favorite restaurant, J. Wilson’s in Beaumont, Texas. Nguyen shared the conversation between father and daughter in a touching Facebook post.
“Daddy, I want to go eat there today,” Adelaide said.
Stanley sadly replied, “When you get better, we will.”
The heartbroken mom shared the story with some friends, who then passed it to the restaurant’s owner, John Wilson. He remembered the family coming to his establishment often.
“They used to come to brunch here all the time before she was diagnosed with leukemia,” Wilson said to “GMA.” “They had been in confinement pretty much since July.”
So, Wilson decided to do something special for this family. On Jan. 26, he organized his staff to open earlier than normal so Adelaide and her family could enjoy some food away from home in one of their favorite places.
The staff gave the place an extra-deep clean to keep Adelaide as safe as possible, and they decorated the family’s table in pink, Adelaide’s favorite color. Adelaide also got a new pink hat from J. Wilson’s along with her favorite meal there: scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits.
Wilson also shared about the experience on Facebook, writing, “We’ll take that smile all day every day!!!”
Wilson also took care of the family’s bill, and he told “Good Morning America” that it was his pleasure to share some love and support for this brave little girl and her family.
“Seeing her smile, just knowing we could give her a little sense of normalcy was great … it’s something we all felt fulfillment from,” he said.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
