Pregnant Waitress Receives A Note From A Customer And Bursts Into Tears

This waitress went to work that day thinking it would just be like any other day. However, she had no idea that something would happen at work which would make her cry and change her life. Keep reading to know more about what happened to this unsuspecting pregnant waitress.

Struggling More Than Usual

That day, she struggled more than usual. She was now in her third trimester and she had grown very big. Her feet were heavy and her back was sore, so she waddled to the table and collected the bill and dishes. By then, the officer had left.

Straight To Her Manager

She opened the folder which contained the check and she saw a note which the police officer had left. She couldn’t stop herself. Struggling to stop her tears from falling, she went straight to her manager.

Saving For The Baby

Courtney Cadigan was already in her eighth month of pregnancy, but she didn’t stop working the shifts at the Lamp Post Diner and she did all that she could manage. Her head was in the future. She wanted financial stability for the baby’s arrival.

Every Cent

She was going to be a mother, so Courtney knew it was very important to save the money she could as she worked hard. Every cent was going to be needed for what was coming. Everyone knows how expensive children are!

Difficult Work

It is extremely hard to be a waiter or waitress. A lot of people don’t realize that the job entails being on your feet for hours and that it doesn’t pay much. Also, it doesn’t help that a lot of customers don’t tip enough.

Not A Regular

Regulars came to the diner, some of them were policemen that would have a quick bite before they started their shift. Courtney was familiar with them, but that day, she didn’t recognize one officer.

Quite Surprising

When the officer paid the bill, he also left a note he had written for Courtney. This was something new to her as she never got a note like that in the past. She was pretty much caught off guard.

Thoughts Racing Through Her Mind

Her due date was on April Fools and it loomed ever nearer. Courtney was worried about making ends meet. Her relationship with her baby’s father ending badly did not help the situation.

All Alone

She was going to face motherhood alone. She was thinking about these things when the police officer walked in and went to sit down in her section. Bringing a menu, she went over to him and welcomed him.

Something Was Up

The officers who regularly come to the diner work at the Voorhees Township Police Department. When Courtney saw a cop she didn’t recognize, she immediately knew something was up.

Even Stranger

Courtney tried not to read much into it. Ignoring her thoughts, she walked over to the officer and took his order, like she would with other customers. However, the encounter just got stranger from there.

Her Worries

Courtney’s ex hadn’t gotten in touch with her for some time, which was quite worrying. The expectant mother wanted him involved in their baby’s life even if their relationship didn’t end on the best terms.

Putting On A Smile

Her ex hadn’t treated Courtney with the respect she deserved, but she thought that it was not the right time to think about those things, so with a smile, she pulled out her pad, ready to take the order of the mysterious man.

Slightly Uncomfortable

When the mysterious man walked in, Courtney felt slightly uncomfortable since she was quite sure this was the first time she had seen him. Talking to him, she tried to study his face carefully. She was trying to place him.

Stony-Faced Officer

He might not be from around the area. Maybe he just didn’t visit this diner a lot. Courtney hoped her ex wasn’t involved and she wasn’t in any kind of trouble. The officer’s stony face, however, did nothing to allay her fears.

An Awkward Situation

Courtney tried her best to exchange pleasantries with him. She made attempts to engage him in small talk, but each time she did, like when she commented about the weather or his order or anything, he simply nodded and smiled tightly, shutting her down.

An Odd Order

The officer ordered a green salad and asked for drinking water. Courtney was relieved to have an excuse out of the pretty awkward situation. However, she was well aware he was watching her carefully as she walked to the kitchen.

Becoming Busy

When Courtney came back from the kitchen, she noticed that the diner filled up. There was another couple seated at the booth which was behind the officer. The waitress rushed to introduce herself.

A Simple Explanation

They noticed her tired eyes and huge baby bump right away, but Courtney brushed aside their concern and explained to them the situation. Courtney recalled, “I was telling the people at the table behind him that it was my first baby.” She added, “I was going out of work soon.”

Watching Her Every Move

Before the couple placed their orders, they congratulated her warmly. They were unaware that the officer was carefully listening to every word. When Courtney served his salad and proceeded to serve the other customers, he watched her intently.

Asking For The Check

The officer ate his salad and drank the glass of water really quickly. Then, he asked for the bill. The total was $9.00, and Courtney brought over the bill.

Filling Up

The diner was becoming busier, so Courtney left him and hurried to get the orders out to diners on time. She didn’t see the officer walk outside because she was going about her duties.

The Note

When Courtney had the chance to open the leather folder, she found enough cash to cover the meal. However, there was also a note that made her knees weak. Written on the bill, it was obviously directed at her.

What Was The Problem?

She later recalled, “He must have overheard my conversation with other customers.” Was the officer shaming her for working? Or perhaps he thought the service had been too slow since Courtney couldn’t move around very quickly.

Good Luck

She picked the note up and read it carefully. She couldn’t believe it! The note read: “Enjoy ur 1st. You will never forget it.” There was $9 in change next to the note. He was wishing her luck!

In Disbelief

When Courtney looked at the tip amount, she almost fell over. With her raging pregnancy hormones, she was stunned at the man’s generosity. Unable to help herself, she was crying as she ran to her manager.

Distraught Employee

Courtney tried to stop the tears, but she failed miserably. With the check in hand, she went inside the back room. Seeing that she was distraught, her boss thought something really bad had happened.

Was It A Mistake?

Perhaps it was a mistake or the man couldn’t see very well. Maybe he thought he needed to pay more or he meant to give $10.00 instead of $100. These scenarios sounded unlikely, though. Courtney just couldn’t believe that he really meant to leave a tip of $100.

No Communication

Courtney later explained, “We didn’t really even talk. I brought him his menu, he ordered a salad and I got it for him. I was telling the people at the table behind him that it was my first baby.” The officer must have overheard what she told the couple and decided to help!

Out Of Breath

Courtney took a moment to catch her breath and explained everything. She still couldn’t believe it, though. She got a $100 tip from the man! She earned far less than that in one whole day!

Small-Town Girl

Courtney couldn’t believe someone would do such a kind thing for her, especially a stranger! While she knew this kind of stories existed, she only heard about them and they always happened to other people. This was the first time ever that something like this happened to someone like her, a small-town girl!

A Blessing

In an interview with the Gloucester Township Patch, Courtney said, “It’s truly a blessing to come across people like him and I’m forever thankful for that.” When she recovered from the shock, she thought of extending her gratitude to the officer in person, but was it possible?

Nowhere In Sight

Hoping that the man hadn’t left yet, Courtney hurriedly went to the parking lot, but her heart fell upon discovering he wasn’t there anymore. How would she find the nice man when she didn’t even get his name?

Sharing The Note

Coming home from her shift, Courtney called the Voorhees Township Police Department. She tried to track down the kind officer. She also told her father, Brian, what happened at work.

Grateful

Her father was very much taken aback by the generous tip, and he shared on Facebook a photo of the note that Courtney received. Brian wrote, “What a wonderful person to not only leave a VERY generous tip but a lovely message too.”

The Post

Brian continued, “It’s not the amount, it’s the humanity of it.” He also commented, “He saw she was struggling and a young girl. She was working in a diner while pregnant, standing with that kind of weight on her, and it was his way of saying, ‘I understand your struggle.’”

A Lasting Effect

The mystery officer, however, did more that day. He made an impact on Courtney’s dad in a big way, one which would stay with him for a long time. What kind of impact exactly?

Changing Opinions

In his post on Facebook, Brian wrote this: “You always hear about how bad the police are, how they treated you like dirt, how they are on a power trip.” He also added, “I am sure there are some bad apples, but most of them are just doing their jobs”.

Forever Impacted

“…they deal with the worst of society every day and have to keep going back every day and deal with it all over again.” Brian’s opinion about police officers has been changed forever thanks to the generous officer.

A Viral Post

Brian’s post on Facebook went viral almost overnight. It got an impressive 10,000 reactions, has been shared thousands of times, and got a thousand comments. People really wanted to find out more about Courtney’s story.

Shattering Misconceptions

One comment read, “What a wonderful thing to do, this story warms my heart. I’ve always respected police officers.” However, the post did more than just shatter misconceptions about police officers…

Help Pouring In

When her dad’s post went viral, people from all over the globe have contacted Courtney. Many called the Lamp Post Diner to contact her and most wanted to help her out and donate money.

A Helping Hand

Manager Victor Sierra mentioned, “They wanna know if they can help her because it’s the first child.” He continued, “It’s the gesture about somebody helping somebody else.” However, was Courtney able to thank the officer in person?

Staying Anonymous

The mystery officer decided to stay anonymous. It appears that it was enough for him to know that he had helped Courtney during her time of need. Was this enough for Courtney?

Respecting His Wishes

Courtney and her dad, Brian, definitely wanted to show their gratitude but they were thinking of how to do it since they didn’t know the identity of the officer. They wanted to respect the man’s wishes, but they wanted him to be recognized as well.

Showing Their Gratitude

They came up with a way to show their appreciation. The dad and daughter duo decided to visit the Voorhees Police Department and bring boxes of donuts for everyone!

Forever Grateful

To say their thanks, the Voorhees Police wrote this on Twitter: “Thanks to Brian Cadigan & Courtney English for bringing in treats for our staff this morning.” In addition, they promised the anonymous officer was personally told that Courtney and Brian were grateful.

A Baby Girl

However, the story did not end there. If you are wondering about Courtney’s baby, she welcomed a beautiful and healthy baby girl! If that is not exciting enough, the story has another twist.

A Beautiful Life

The baby’s daddy and Courtney’s ex-boyfriend is back in their lives! The couple made amends before their beautiful baby was born, and we are glad. They can now start their life together as one family.

Love All Around

On April 6th, baby Kayleigh Ann was born. She weighed 7 pounds and 3 ounces. A loving mom and dad would always take care of her as she was brought into this world with a lot of love. What a lucky little baby girl!

She’s Thriving

We’re glad to say Courtney is thriving in motherhood! She was an excellent waitress and has carried over her dedication and hard work to parenting. However, she has taken a break from serving for now.

Stepping Away From The Hustle

She just wanted to have a break from the non-stop hustle and focus on her little baby girl. While her little one cannot express her gratitude now, we bet she will one day!

Worth Millions

She may have chosen not to work at the diner for now, but Courtney will forever remember her experience that fateful day. $100 doesn’t really go far with a newborn, but the thought and kindness alone is worth millions.

Put A Smile On Her Face

Courtney’s day was rather rough when she got the $100 tip. It made her smile and also eased her nerves a little bit about giving birth and all the financial burdens that are involved in having a baby.

Always Be Kind

You never know when a person is feeling down, so when you help people around you, it could make their day. However, if you are mean to someone, especially if they’re fragile, could ruin their day. We need to remember this always!

Take Notes

Courtney thought it won’t happen to her, but it did and now look! Therefore, never assume you won’t experience it. This is a great story for us to take notes from. $100 may not be doable for us all, but even $5 to a person in need is a great gift.

Charity

Even $10 or $5 extra would have made Courtney’s day brighter! There are a lot of people out there who are in need. We can always help them. We should also say that charity doesn’t have to be giving money, but it can also be giving your time and service.

Warmed People’s Hearts

Courtney made appearances on many news channels after she received the generous tip. The story and the kind act that the police officer did for the mom-to-be enthralled the world. Many Americans found the story heartwarming.

Good Publicity

Courtney was happy that her diner, the kind officer and his squad received some good publicity. She was also glad that the story touched many people. She was not alone!

As a Working Mom

As a waitress and as a working mom, Courtney hoped that people could see how much the tip meant to her. It is known that people tend to stiff wait-staff, so it definitely means a lot whenever the opposite happens.

More Confident

She also hoped that women saw the story. She wanted women to feel more confident to work even when they are pregnant. Courtney believes that it is absolutely normal and natural for mothers to want to work to support their families. She hopes that she has helped women who are expecting or thinking of having kids in the future.

Kindness

Courtney hopes that what she does every day shows her baby that when she grows up, she can be whoever she would like to be. When Kayleigh Ann is older, Courtney intends to sit her daughter down and teach her about dedication, hard work, and most importantly, kindness.

A Friendly Atmosphere

Courtney’s fiance was thankful for the kindness that was shown to his girlfriend and their baby. It made him happy that she worked at a warm and friendly environment with great people.

The Best Idea

Courtney hopes to be back in her happy place soon. However, for now, she is enjoying the time she is spending with her family. Courtney knew that saving up before giving birth was the best thing to do!

Just Like Mom And Dad

Baby Kayleigh Ann is lucky to have such hard-working and inspiring parents. We think it is great for children to see their parents working hard in the long run. She’ll probably grow up to be as motivated as her parents!

Furry Friends

We’re happy to see that little Kayleigh Ann and the family dog are getting along pretty well. They both look really excited to have their picture taken! Isn’t Kayleigh super adorable with her purple bow and socks?

Daddy’s Girl

Kayleigh likes watching movies with her daddy after having her nighttime milk. The two look pretty cozy resting together and seem to have an amazing relationship already! We bet Kayleigh is a daddy’s girl!

Always Together

She also enjoys hanging out with her mom, playing games on her smartphone. Courtney usually finds baby Youtube videos that Kayleigh enjoys watching. Whatever they do, the duo do it together!

Godmother

Kayleigh is also blessed because she has a caring godmother – Courtney’s younger sister, Hailey, who is very excited to become a really important person in Kayleigh’s life.

Nap Time

When in doubt, take a nap. Babies need plenty of rest – so do their parents! Anybody who has had a child knows how difficult this stage is. These two look as if they’re catching some deep sleep!

Kind Heart

That day, when Courtney struggled to make ends meet, it felt like one of her darkest days. Thankfully, someone kind stepped in and did a great act of kindness which brightened her day. She will remember forever the police officer with a kind heart.