Giving Me a Real Lift

When I moved to Melbourne, my new city seemed so big and unfriendly. Then a routine mammogram found some suspicious tissue in one breast and I had to go to the oncology unit at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

It seemed a small challenge compared to the one I was about to face (I would eventually need a mastectomy), but things started to go wrong right from the beginning. Not having a car or knowing the city, I was depending on a couple of buses to get me from A to B. Although I’d left myself plenty of time, it was soon obvious I was going to be late, as I had mistakenly boarded a bus that was taking me in the opposite direction.

Disembarking, I stood on the footpath not knowing what to do. I looked into the eyes of a stranger, who was trying to get past me. Surprisingly, instead of moving on, she stopped to ask if I was OK. I started to explain my situation to her, and without realising it, tears started running down my face.

The kind woman pointed to a bus stop across the street, where a bus would take me back into the city to my appointment. Sitting there waiting, I felt grateful that someone had been willing to help. Then, hearing a horn nearby, I looked up to see a car with my new friend waving at me to get in. She had returned to offer me a lift to the hospital.

Such unexpected kindness from a passer-by was a lovely gift to receive. As I climbed out of the car at the hospital and turned to thank her, she smiled and told me not to lose faith, for all things are possible.