A line of Norfolk shoppers let a queueing paramedic go to the front in a display of kindness which saw one even pay for his shop.
David Tillyer, from Aylsham, had finished work at Cromer Ambulance Station and headed to Lidl to go shopping on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old joined a line of shoppers, but said that one by one they all allowed him to go ahead, gave him a round of applause and said thank you. And as he approached the till, he said a woman he had spoken to in the queue ran up and paid for his shopping.
He took to Facebook after being left “humbled and emotional” by the experience and has seen the post go viral, with more than 56,000 people sharing it.
Mr Tillyer, who works for the East of England Ambulance Service, said: “The reception they gave was superb. At first I was a little embarrassed but it really made me feel respected and makes an already rewarding job, even more worthwhile. I’m proud of the uniform I wear and the amazing organisation I represent. It is always nice to know that, despite the current climate, people are grateful for what we do.
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“I woke this afternoon to hundreds of messages and tags from friends and family that had seen the post.
“I only posted it so that my colleagues could see how much people value what we do. I never expected it to go viral.
“The generosity of the lady in Lidl (sadly I didn’t catch her name) made me a little emotional. It may be a small gesture to some but I really appreciated it. I do want to point out that I am a small part of a big team of people on the front line who all do an amazing job. That being said, the NHS gets much of the focus when it comes to public gratitude but I’d like to say thank you to all the other people that are out there, doing their job so that our country can keep moving forward.
“I have struggled a little with shopping as I am, like everyone, trying to keep my distance from anyone during my days off. These last few night shifts have been hard as I ran out of shift appropriate food and almost nowhere is open at night now. But on the most part I have been able to get the essentials I need.”
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His initial post said: “I am humbled and a little bit emotional. I finished my night shift this morning and joined the line of shoppers waiting to enter Lidl in Cromer. One by one they all let me ahead of them followed by a round of applause and thank yous. Once I’d done my round of shopping inside, a lady I’d been chatting to in the queue ran up and swiped her card on the reader to pay for my shopping. I tried to say “that’s kind but you musn’t” but she said with a smile “Not much you can do to stop me now”. Thank you to the lady that did that and thank you to all the shoppers that made me feel special after a tough run of shifts. #NHSandProud #stayhome #covidkindness”
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