A stuffed animal might not matter much to the average person, but for a child, it could mean the world. When 10-year-old Leon Ashworth's mom couldn't afford to buy him a stuffed panda he desperately wanted, he wrote a forlorn note on the toy's box pleading with shoppers not to buy it until his mom could. What happened next was so heartwarming, it will melt you.
The boy, who lives in Liverpool, England with his mom, Debbie Ashworth, first saw his beloved 'Pandy' at an Asda supermarket, the British equivalent of Wal-Mart. Though he was willing to wait patiently until his mom's paycheck came in on June 15th to take the cuddly bear home, the store's staff decided to do something incredibly thoughtful after they noticed Leon's scribbled letter.
In search of the young author, whom they didn't know at the time, they posted the note on Facebook - and eventually attracted the attention of Debbie Ashworth, who immediately recognized her son's handwriting. The Asda crew invited the mom and her son back to the store, and had a wonderful surprise waiting for them. "This is the best day of my life," Leon remarked to his mom. For Debbie, who lost a prematurely-born son in January and has struggled since, the gesture was even more meaningful.
Follow the entire touching story below, and find out how the Internet reacted!
This is 'Pandy,' a cuddly toy that stole the heart of 10-year-old Leon Ashworth from Liverpool, England
Image credits: David Bateman
Sadly, his mom couldn't afford to buy Pandy until payday, so he left a solemn note with the cuddly bear
Image credits: David Bateman
My mum [doesn't] have [enough] money, so she's [buying] me Pandy [Friday] next week 15 June. So please don't [buy] him, it will make me cry. Thank you so much from Hopeful [Future] Owner. Panda's name - Pandy!
When the Asda supermarket staff noticed the note, they tracked Leon down and invited him back to the store...
Image credits: David Bateman
...Where they surprised him with Pandy, a gift they pitched in their own money to buy
Image credits: David Bateman
Leon was overjoyed, but his mom, who lost a premature baby in January, was even more touched
The Internet also had major feels, as well as incredible Asda staff stories of their own
