I am writing to share my deepest appreciation for a beautiful stranger who was on the Sydney ferry.

I was travelling with my 78-year-old father, who has early-stage dementia and uses a walking frame. It was his first trip out in months after his treatment, and he was extremely disoriented and anxious because of the crowd at Circular Quay. He suddenly panicked, refused to board, and kept saying he wanted to go home, his voice getting louder. I was doing everything I could to calm him, but I could feel everyone watching us.

Most people around us were just staring, sighing and giving us that uncomfortable look like we were holding up the queue. But this woman was different. Instead of judging us or simply walking past, she came over to us, crouched down to my father's eye level and spoke to him with such genuine kindness. She told me she understood, that her own late dad had dementia too and she's been exactly where I was.

She then went out of her way to help us. She spoke to the ferry staff so we could board through the priority gate, carried my dad's walking frame onto the ferry, and found us seats at the back where it was quieter.

Her kindness didn't stop there.

During the 50-minute ferry ride, my father continued to be very confused and agitated, asking the same question over and over. I was completely overwhelmed myself, at breaking point and trying not to cry in front of everyone because nothing I did seemed to help him settle. And this beautiful stranger checked on us multiple times throughout the ride. She brought us water, reassured me, comforted my dad by talking about the Harbour Bridge and the houses along the river, and reminded me that everything was okay and that we were seen and she cared.

She never made me feel embarrassed. She never made me feel like my father was a burden or that we were inconveniencing anyone.

She simply showed us compassion.

When we arrived in Parramatta, she went above and beyond once again. My father was still very anxious and moving very slowly, so she asked the other passengers to please wait a moment so we could get off first. She wasn't a worker, not crew, just a beautiful soul with compassion. She then waited with us until our Uber arrived and made sure my dad was safely seated.

There were also a couple of other kind people that day who showed they cared, passed no judgement and told me I was doing a good job. I cannot properly explain how much this meant to me.

That was one of the most overwhelming days of my life. As a son travelling alone with an elderly parent with dementia, you already feel incredibly vulnerable. Having people stare or judge you can make an already heartbreaking situation feel so much worse.

But this woman chose kindness.

She didn't know me. She didn't know my father. She had absolutely no obligation to help us yet she did. She saw a son struggling and an old man who was completely overwhelmed, and she chose to step in with compassion and understanding.

I will never forget that.

Sometimes a stranger can enter your life for only an hour and leave an impact that lasts forever and this is what this beautiful lady has done for me, showed me that I wasn't alone in such a vulnerable time for me.

You helped me through one of the hardest days I have ever experienced. You reminded me that there are still incredibly kind and compassionate people in this world.

I will never forget you or what you did for us.