What is a random act of kindness? It’s doing something helpful, thoughtful, or kind for someone else, whether you know them or not. And, we recently witnessed one that turned into an incredible donation for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Words by Liz Paul, Natalie’s mum
Saturday 19 November 2022 was the first anniversary of Natalie Kate Harding’s passing at the age of 31, following her four-year battle with brain cancer. Natalie’s death came just seven weeks after she got married.
Natalie’s family wanted to mark this important anniversary in a special way. As Natalie loved fireworks, they decided to arrange a fireworks display at the location where she passed – her Nan’s home.
A fireworks tribute
Regular, shop-bought fireworks weren’t going to fit the bill. So, Natalie’s mum and dad approached a friend, Craig Greenway, who helps organise public fireworks displays in his spare time.
Craig, along with Jonathan, owner of Jonathan’s Fireworks, kindly offered to travel and set up a bespoke display in Natalie’s memory.
The display, which kicked off with a set of amazing angel wings, was a wonderful tribute to Natalie. The evening finished with a red heart launched into the sky at the time of Natalie passing: 9.50pm.
The organisation of the fireworks display really helped Natalie’s family turn what was an incredibly sad day into one of happy memories.
A random act of kindness
To top it all off, the owner of the fireworks company – not known to the family – refused to take any money for the fireworks and his time. He said he was just pleased to have helped a family better deal with their grief.
Jonathan simply asked for a donation to charity to be made in lieu of payment. So Natalie’s family decided to donate an amazing £1,000 to The Brain Tumour Charity in Natalie’s memory. So this remarkable act of kindness resulted in more money going towards a worthwhile cause.
How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time.
Morgan Freeman
It’s lovely to think that such acts of kindness can bring about much-needed change and support us to find treatments that can give hope to others in the future.
If you’ve been affected by a brain tumour diagnosis and are interested in sharing your story, we’d love to hear from you. Visit our Share Your Story page to find out more.