Lifestyle5 min(s) read
Published 14:53 30 Jul 2019 GMT
We've all been through hard times, but for one waitress in Las Vegas, she was forced to work when the rest of her life was collapsing around her.
But little did this waitress know, she was in for the best shift of her life. But under the circumstances, her life had so many complications and struggles. Jessica had been working in Chili's restaurant on the Las Vegas strip just to earn money to provide for her family.
[post_page_title]The Shift Where It All Began[/post_page_title]
Despite still being young herself, Jessica had a wonderful family of her own - a husband and four children, including a six-month-old baby. Money was tight, and Jessica had to work extremely hard. But one strange day, her life was turned upside down...
"I've got a four-year-old, twin two-year-olds, and a six-month-old," Jessica was talking to a customer who'd asked whether she had kids or not. She sounded very proud and extremely happy talking about her little babies. That was what kept her going every day, just thinking about her children and how much she loved them. But behind her smile, she was hiding so much pain...
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Peculiar Customers[/post_page_title]
This is when the weird occurrences began. After serving some customers, being the friendly server with a smile on her face that she always is, Jessica started to notice something odd.
There was something about the customers that day, that just felt a little strange. They were all a little bit odd, but Jessica couldn't put her finger on what was up. Perhaps they were inspectors, checking out the quality of the restaurant for a secret review. But even then, something wasn't right...
[post_page_title]A $200 Tip[/post_page_title]
It was quite rare that there were any big tippers when it came to paying for the meal, but then after clearing up the glasses of two ladies who were sat by the bar area, something amazing happened.
They had left her a tip. Not just any tip, but a tip of $200. Perhaps they had just won the jackpot at one of the casinos, or maybe they were so wealthy that dropping $200 was nothing to them. Did they realize how much they had left her? Jessica asked, "Do you need change at all?" The woman just replied, "No, I'm good. Thank you!"
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Then A $300 Tip[/post_page_title]
But then whilst Jessica was serving her next customer, when the asked for the bill, they left an incredible amount of money as well. They had left her $300.
This was without any doubt her lucky day. Two customers had tipped her big amounts of money. This was more than she would earn all week! "Are you serious?" Jessica asked, feeling touched. "You have no idea. That's a huge blessing. Thank you so much," she said humbly, with a tender smile on her face.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Jessica's Husband Was Sick...[/post_page_title]
"Her husband is fighting for his life. Testicular cancers were started, it spread through his stomach, into his lungs." One of Jessica's friends said. "She's been traveling back and forth from LA because she can't afford to miss work right now."
"In her heart, she's still convinced that he's gonna be there for him." Jessica's friend said. "She's worried about the van going back and forth, she's concerned with losing the home. Any money that they have coming in, helps." It sounded like Jessica was having to work really hard, just to provide for her family.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]But His Treatment In LA...[/post_page_title]
The doctors had to fly him to a hospital all the way in Los Angeles, far away from Las Vegas. It was devastating news at it was, but now Jessica would have to work even harder.
She couldn't afford to not work, but she also needed to see her husband, and flights weren't cheap. On top of that, Jessica had four very young children who all needed her attention and love, is all under the age of four years old.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Then Came A $500 Tip[/post_page_title]
Back in the restaurant, Jessica's shift had just become even weirder. One of her customers had just tipped her $500. Was he serious? Was this some sort of joke? What if the money was fake, or stolen!
"Are you serious?!" she asked the man. He nodded. "Thank you," the gratitude on Jessica's face was something else. She looked so humbled that a stranger would tip her this much money. It was amazing. Some of the other customers had seen her reaction, and knew he had tipped big. Perhaps he was a celebrity. For Jessica, it was a dream.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Total Tips Now Equal $1,000[/post_page_title]
"Thank you, thank you so much, thank you," Jessica said, nodding with such appreciation, she didn't know what else to say. It was such a kind gesture...
In total, the three customers who had tipped her today had given her $200, $300 and now $500. It was astounding. Without realizing it, Jessica had accumulated $1000 worth of tips. This had been a very strange day, but maybe an angel or God was watching over her. Everything was going great, until another customer spotted the exchange...
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]"What Did He Give You?"[/post_page_title]
It was another customer, a man in a smart suit with a bright gold tie and a navy blue suit jacket. He didn't look too impressed. Jessica felt a little ashamed for accepting so much money.
"What did he give you?" the man demanded of Jessica. He pressed on, "He gave you $500?" Jessica nodded her head submissively. She was an honest woman, and was prepared to tell the truth. Maybe someone had broken into a casino, and that's why this had all happened. It was Las Vegas, after all.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The $1,000 Tip[/post_page_title]
"I'm going to give you a thousand," the suited man said, as he opened his wallet and began counting $100 dollar notes out of them and onto the bill.
"Oh my God, don't do that. Are you serious right now?" Jessica asked shocked. The man replied, "Sure." At that moment, Jessica couldn't hold back the tears. "Oh my god," she cried. Seeing her break down to tears, the other women at the table asked if she was okay. Through tears, Jessica explained, "You guys have no idea how much this means to me. My husband's actually in hospital. I almost lost him a week ago."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The Surprise Squad Turn Up[/post_page_title]
A woman walked in looking for Jessica. "I'm Monica Jackson with the Fox 5 Surprise Squad, how are you?"
"Oh my god, I'm great, how are you!" Jessica began to cry with shock, "Oh my god! This is so amazing, oh my god, I can't even believe this." She wiped tears away from her face. After she had composed herself more, it was time to hear a bit about her story, and why she was working so hard every day.
[post_page_title]Family Photograph[/post_page_title]
It was a photograph of her family. There she stood, smiling in a red dress, and her husband in a matching red suit, with her four beautiful children - a daughter, two twin boys, and a six-month-old baby.
"I have four beautiful little ones, I've gotta do it for them. It's all I can do." Suddenly, Monica Jackson asked Jessica something rather sensitive. It was about her husband. "So when you get to the hospital, where Robert is, what's the routine there?" Monica asked, aware of Jessica's situation and her husband's illness.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Jessica's Heartbreaking Story[/post_page_title]
Jessica began to well up as she explained what had happened that very week when she had last got to visit her husband Robert in the hospital in Los Angeles.
"This week I had to just do it on the drop of a dime and I couldn't afford it, so I, um, slept in my car for a day. But I'm trying to smile through it still. I have to, that's what everyone knows me for." Even Monica Jackson began to cry at this. It was heartbreaking that she couldn't afford to see her husband who was so sick. Then, a man appeared by Monica's side...
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The Pink Box[/post_page_title]
The man was called Don Foreman, and he is the owner of United Nissan. He was holding a large pink box with some pink ribbon on it, as the handle to open the lid.
"Our family at United Nissan, we believe that at this time the best place for you to be is by your husband's side, so we put together a little something." Then he handed her the pink box... Jessica carefully pulled open the ribbon to see what was inside...
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The $10,000 Gift[/post_page_title]
As she opened the box, she saw the bold red letters. They read '$10,000! the Fox 5 Surprise Squad were giving Jessica $10,000 so she could be with her husband.
Jessica didn't know what to say, She cried and cried, just saying, "oh my god, oh my god!" At that moment, Jessica was like a small child who had been lost and found by her parents. She turned to Don Foreman and cried into his chest as she hugged him.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Hugs Of Gratitude[/post_page_title]
Despite having never met Don Foreman, Jessica buried her head into his chest, crying into him, so thankful or what he and the rest of the Fox 5 Surprise Squad had done for her.
She cried as she said, muffled again the United Nissan owner, "You guys are my angels. Robert is going to be so happy." She continued to sob. A woman from America First Credit Union, Crystal Price, spoke about the moment Jessica opened the box, saying, "You got really choked up just knowing that she really was taking back by it, that people, you know, complete strangers, were looking out for her."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]How Has She Coped This Long?[/post_page_title]
"I had no idea. I thought it was just me and my family out there trying to do this. Trying to keep all our hopes and dreams alive, and, bringing Daddy back home." Jessica's voice wobbled as she spoke.
She continued, trying to keep it all together, "Luckily my kids are young enough that I can shelter them from this, but, my biggest thing is just keep your head high, and keep smiling. Because as long as you can keep smiling, you'll make it through it."
[post_page_title]A Family Plagued By Tragedy[/post_page_title]
This photo was taken before Robert had any sort of diagnosis of cancer, not long after their twins were born two years previously.
They were a real couple madly in love, and the money allowed Jessica to be able to see her husband and care for the children without him. As Jessica was the only one working, the money had helped enormously, and Jessica kept on working hard, wishing that her husband would get better soon. But Robert didn't make it.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]But Robert Didn't Make It...[/post_page_title]
Not long after the Fox 5 Surprise Squad's big surprise, Jessica's husband Robert passed away. He didn't make it through the cancer.
At the age of 25, Robert had married the love of his life, and fathered four beautiful children. The news was devastating for everyone - Jessica was now a widow, and her four babies would now grow up without a Daddy. Still, the Fox 5 Surprise Squad decided to pay her a visit to see how she was doing.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]But The Generosity Of The Squad Changed Jessica's Life[/post_page_title]
It had been six months since the big surprise and the $12,000 that Jessica had been given by United Nissan, America First and the rest of the Fox 5 Surprise Squad.
"It's amazing just from everywhere, the outpour that I've had. New Zealand, I've gotten the United Kingdom, I've gotten India... just people sending me their prayers and their thoughts and telling me how strong I am and hearing those things every day really helps."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The Family Fights On[/post_page_title]
"I can talk to those people and say, thank you so much for saying that to me, you made my day. And sometimes that's all it takes, just to make that smile come right back and know that everything's gonna make it.
"I get to see Robert every day in these kids. Everything that he did up until his last moment was for his family. He wanted to make sure that... we were gonna be okay," her voice began to crack, "And we are. We're gonna be okay, right?" She turned to her little girl and kissed her on the head.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Because True Love Lasts Forever[/post_page_title]
This must have been the hardest moment of Jessica's entire life. She is now a single mother to four children, and has lost the love of her life.
In tribute to Robert, we want to wish Jessica and her family all the best for the future, and hope that she manages to make it through this tough time. Strangers will be looking after her, as well as her friends and her family. May Robert rest in peace.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Check out the full video below...[/post_page_title]
Moments are precious, and people are, too. So if you love someone, make sure they know before its too late.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8mXRe8mvpo
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Simply incredible! Well done to the Fox 5 news team!
