Brighten Your Day

Mom With Breast Cancer Meets 'Angel' In Restaurant

November 21, 2019

A mother battling breast cancer is feeling grateful for the kindness she received by a complete stranger while dining with her family at a restaurant in in Medford, New York.

Credit: Amy Nevins Pettenato

Amy Pettenato was enjoying breakfast with her family at the Metropolis Diner when she noticed another family kept looking at her and smiling.

Pettenato took to Facebook to share what happened next.

"So today we go to breakfast at metropolis. Next to us is a family. Mom dad and four girls. At times I noticed one of the daughters looking at me and then noticed the mom looking and smiling at me. As you can c I have my cancer hat on."

Pettenato assumed they were looking at her because of her shaved head.

"I got sad, and teared up; I went into self-conscious mode about my hair. It was the first time I'd been out since I'd shaved my head," she told The Patch.

But then came the moment that changed the meaning of those glances completely.

"Prior to them leaving the mom gets up and sits next to us and begins talking to me about her survivorship. 13 year breast cancer survivor.

So we Talked for a bit and she wished me luck with everything I'm going through and reminded me to stay positive."

Pettenato and her family finished eating and asked for the check, but learned their check had been paid by the kind stranger.

"The waitress said there is no check. We all looked at her puzzled and responded you didn't give it to us yet. She told us the check was paid for already. We looked at her not understanding and she stated the woman next to us paid our bill. The same woman who took five minutes out of her time to sit and comfort me and share her experience.

With that I began to cry! All I know is she is from sachem as they all had sachem shirts on. I thanked her for sitting and sharing her story but never knew to thank for paying our bill. Maybe somehow this can be shared and who knows maybe it can reach them somehow. Thank you very much not only for paying our bill but also stopping g to sit and share your experience and remind me to stay positive and I'll get through this just as she did."

The woman's act of kindness touched Pettenato to the core, she said.

"That was an angel, sent here to let me know, 'We've got you,'" she said.

After the story had been shared in the Sachem moms' Facebook group, a friend called and said she found her angel.

The woman wrote Pettenato and said while they might not know each other, they were "bonded as pink sisters" and she'd paid it forward because she knew how hard the struggle is for Pettenato right now.

Pettenato says she shared her story so others would know they are not facing the battle alone.

"My journey," she said, "is going to be somebody else's support system. And positivity is key."