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Barnsley mum ‘overwhelmed’ by stranger’s kind act to daughter with cancer
Image source, Siobhan Bon
Nine-year-old Indie and mum Siobhan were shopping in Meadhowhall when the man struck up a conversation with them
A mum from South Yorkshire is on the hunt for a stranger who left her “overwhelmed” with an act of kindness.
Siobhan Bon, from Barnsley, was shopping in Sheffield with her nine-year-old daughter, Indie, when a man struck up a conversation with them.
Realising Indie was undergoing cancer treatment, as his son once was, he gave Ms Bon £100 as a gift for her daughter.
Ms Bon said she was left amazed at “the kindness of a stranger” and wanted to get the chance to properly thank him.
Diagnosed with leukaemia in October last year, Indie is now in her fifth round of chemotherapy and is undergoing cancer treatment at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Image source, Siobhan Bon
Indie was given £100
Indie was shopping with her mum at Meadowhall after a five-day stay in the hospital when they ran into the unknown man.
In an emotional conversation with Ms Bon, who is a nurse, the man revealed his son had also been treated for cancer and was now 10 years in remission.
The man had told her: “I know how you’re feeling”, Ms Bon said.
“Both me and him were absolutely bawling in the middle of the store,” she added.
“He started to get upset after he came over and I didn’t know what to think at first.
“Obviously people will come up and say, ‘hope your daughter is OK’, the usual, or just stare at us, to be honest.
“But he told me about his son and we were hugging. Everyone was staring at us and for that minute someone knew exactly how I felt.”
Image source, Siobhan Bon
As a result of the £100 gift from the unknown man, Indie was able to buy some of her favourite make-up
Ms Bon said Indie was amazed at the cash gift from the stranger, saying: “Mummy, I’m rich.”
The man’s generosity meant Indie, an aspiring TikTok star, could afford to buy items of her favourite make-up and create a brand new video for the social media app.
With the help of Meadowhall staff, Indie was able to leave her wheelchair behind to find exactly what she wanted, Ms Bon said.
She added: “I never got his name and I so wish I did now. I was just so overwhelmed with the kindness of a stranger.”
She said the unknown man’s generosity, coupled with the fact his son was a decade in remission, had given hope to both her and her daughter.
Ms Bon said: “I hope it will soon be me in that position.
“Times have been tough for us as a family because obviously I’ve not been able to work. It’s just nice to know someone knows how you feel.”
Meanwhile, Indie said she wanted to “say a big thank you” to the man.
“I want to find him so I can draw him a picture,” she said.
