As an Uber driver, Belinda Smith has had numerous folks sit on the backseat of her automobile. Principally each journey begins and ends the identical method.
However when she had this new mother as a passenger, the top of their journey sparked the start of one thing stunning between two strangers.
Nikki Ihus is a brand new mother from Kansas Metropolis who has been staying at Johns Hopkins All Kids’s Hospital in Florida.
There, her son John Henry is being handled for a life-threatening situation referred to as congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a uncommon delivery defect the place a child is born with a gap of their diaphragm.
In line with the American Pediatric Surgical Affiliation, having this gap may cause organs from the stomach to undergo the open area within the chest cavity. This defect is so distinctive, that only one in each 4,000 infants are born with it.
Nikki determined to carry her child to the St. Petersburg hospital as a result of their CDH group is among the many finest within the nation. Their good docs and the strategies they employed have introduced their CDH survival charge to greater than 90 p.c.
That’s why although they stay in Kansas, the mom and son needed to keep in Florida so John might get higher. As a result of they’re removed from residence and their belongings, Nikki wanted to purchase new garments for her child whereas they’re within the hospital. She ordered an Uber to take her to Rhea Lana’s, a youngsters’s clothes retailer.
That’s when she met her driver Belinda, and moments later, Nikki discovered herself venting to a whole stranger.
“She wanted to speak and I used to be there to hear,” Belinda advised WFTS. “Folks don’t hear anymore. I consider folks get in my automobile for a cause apart from a experience.”
Nikki was in a metropolis the place she didn’t have any family and friends, and the solitude left her feeling lonely and homesick.
“I hopped within the automobile and I feel she might inform I wasn’t having one of the best day,” Nikki mentioned.
Her story tugged at Belinda’s coronary heart, who felt like she wanted to do extra than simply be a listening ear.
“She advised me her story. She was in tears a few occasions and I actually felt for her,” she advised WKRG.
After they arrived at Rhea Lana’s, the 2 mentioned their goodbyes. However for Belinda, the journey ending that method didn’t really feel proper.
She couldn’t get the considered Nikki and her sick baby out of her head, so she determined to do one thing to assist.
“She touched my coronary heart,” Belinda advised WFTS. “So I parked the automobile and turned Uber off. I went in and I discovered her and mentioned, ‘It is a day that ought to be enjoyable for you. And also you shouldn’t be alone. Let’s store.’”
The 2 shopped for garments and when Nikki was about to take a look at, Belinda had one other shock for her – she was going to pay for all of the 30 objects that Nikki had in her cart!
Nikki couldn’t assist however cry for what her new good friend simply did.
“For this stranger to go utterly out of her method – cease what she was doing and cease creating wealth – to come back be with me for a few hours whereas we shopped collectively, that was simply unimaginable,” she mentioned.
The 2 have saved in contact and Belinda even visited John within the hospital every week after she shopped with Nikki. Watch the function video under courtesy of WFLA Information Channel 8.
Editor’s observe: This was initially printed on November, 2019.
