Let’s face it, raising a baby isn’t cheap. There are tons of items that new parents need to get in addition to the basics like food, diapers, and a crib. So it makes sense that many moms and dads try and earn a little extra cash before their newborn arrives.
Courtney English was seven months pregnant with her first child, and waitressing at the Lamp Post Diner in New Jersey.
Despite the fact that being on your feet all day would be difficult, she wanted to save money before her daughter was born.
Courtney headed into the restaurant on a Friday, clueless it would be a shift she’d never forget.
Since the mom-to-be had worked at the establishment for a couple of years she had many regulars. In addition to seeing familiar faces during her lunch shift, Courtney also waited on a new customer – a Voorhees County police officer.
The cop was pleasant during their interaction. He ate his meal and then requested his check, which came to $8.75.
Courtney continued to wait on her other customers while the officer paid at the register. A short time later, she finally got to lay eyes on the check. She was stunned by what she saw.
Instead of leaving an average tip, or even a really good tip – the officer went up and beyond. He left the pregnant waitress a whopping $100 on the $8.75 bill.
Courtney told CBS 3:
“I didn’t know until after he left. And when I found out I was hysterical.”
There was a short message on the check as well.
From what it seems, the officer (who wanted to remain anonymous) was also a dad too. He wrote on the slip of paper:
“Enjoy your first – you will never forget it”
Likely he was aware of just how expensive babies are (yet worth every penny). Although he didn’t know Courtney – it didn’t stop him from wanting to do something kind to help out a new parent that was working hard.
Courtney’s father, Brian Cadigan, was also blown away by the officer’s generosity.
He decided to post the heartwarming story on Facebook, along with a photo of the check. It’s racked up more than 10K positive reactions.
Brian begins his post talking about police officers, pointing out how “they are human, and do many good things every day that most people will never know about.”
He goes on to say:
“They are people, they have feelings, and they have Jobs to do, sometimes they may not like what they have to do, but they do it without question. Most of the good stuff they do you will never hear about, they don’t do it for glory or recognition, they do it because they are good people.”
After sharing the details of what happened that day, Brian wrote in the post:
“What a wonderful person to not only leave a VERY generous tip, but a lovely message, I don’t know you Mr Police Officer, but you made my little girl cry, and made her year. Thank you, I always had the utmost respect for Officers, but you went above and beyond not just an officer, but a beautiful human being. God Bless.”
Understandably, Courtney was very appreciative of the officer’s act of kindness. She explained to TODAY that she’d be using the money on essential baby items like a blanket, pacifiers, and washcloths.
It’s a sweet story that’s won hearts across the internet. Watch the video below to see an interview with Courtney!
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