I Spent My Last Money Saving Little Boy & Have to Tell Daughter She Gets No B-Day Present This Year – Story of the Day

It wasn't easy for me to break my little girl's heart and say no to her. But I had no choice. I didn't buy a birthday present for my daughter because I spent my last savings on a small boy...

I wasn't happy when I birthed my little Shirley. She was the prettiest baby in my eyes, but as I held her, something inside me was crumbling.

To be honest, I was terrified. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to provide a good life for my daughter. Unfortunately, I was right.

Because my husband did not want a girl-child, we divorced. I never finished college because I was looking forward to getting married and starting a family. When that dream fell apart, I had no one to turn to for assistance. My parents had abandoned me as a child, and my friends turned their backs on me.

So I had to raise Shirley on my own. Alone. With no help from acquaintances, save for my older neighbor, who occasionally watched Shirley when I was away.

I work as a waitress at a pub, but I can't take multiple shifts because I have to be home for Shirley. My beautiful baby girl turned seven this year, and all she wanted from me was a doll set.

"Mumma, would you please get it for me? I know we don't have a lot of money, but I want this one thing. I am sorry, Mumma. I always trouble you," she said, and my eyes welled up.

Our house rent was due, I had no savings, and we were struggling to get by. But I couldn't bring myself to say no to Shirley when she asked for the doll set.

My little girl is very bright, and she understands everything. She knows I always try my best. She knows we've been struggling for quite some time, so she never asked me for anything. This one time, when she told me about the doll set, I was determined to get it for her.

So I stopped taking the bus to work and walked miles to save on transport. I stopped eating out; anyway, coffee was the only thing I would buy for myself, and I stopped that. Little by little, I was saving money for Shirley's doll set. And every time I imagined her playing with it, tears welled up in my eyes.

"She'd be delighted!" I thought.

One day, I was sitting at a park. I had sold my prom dress a few hours before. Unfortunately, the money I saved on the bus and coffee was not enough to buy the doll set Shirley wanted, so I sold my prom outfit.

My late friend had sewn it for me, and I really wanted to give it to Shirley one day for her own prom, but I couldn't. "Difficult times don't last long. This is just a bad phase..." I reminded myself in tears, feeling terrible to have sold the dress.

Good deeds are rewarded in surprising ways.

Suddenly, a loud thud from somewhere nearby diverted my attention. When I turned around, I saw kids screaming and running. Then I noticed a little boy lying still on the ground near the slide.

"Oh no!" I gasped and ran to him. He was breathing but unconscious.

"Where are his parents? Did anyone see his parents with him? Does anyone know where he lives?" I asked the kids, but nobody was ready to answer.

"He - He slipped over the slide," a girl finally said. "I don't know him!" and ran away.

I gently held him, trying to wake him up. "Honey, can you hear me? You need to get up!" But the boy didn't respond.

With trembling hands, I pulled my phone from my handbag and dialed 911. "A boy...he passed out. Please dispatch an ambulance as soon as possible. He's hurt his head..." I was terrified. His body was as cold as ice, and his pulse was dropping rapidly.

"Don't worry, honey. You'll be okay. You'll be just fine." I kept telling him.

A couple of minutes later, the ambulance arrived, and I accompanied him to the hospital. I knew nothing about his parents and didn't have the heart to leave him alone. I got goosebumps just thinking about my little Shirley in his condition, and I knew I had to be there for him.

After the boy was admitted, I waited outside his room. Soon after, a staff member approached me and asked me to pay for the ambulance charges.

"But I - I am not the boy's parents or even related to him…Why should I be the one paying for the ambulance?" I asked, shocked.

"Did you call the ambulance, ma'am? Then you will pay…Come with me."

I felt terrible. I only had the money I had saved for Shirley's birthday present. I had to spend it. Oh, how it hurt me. To save a little boy's life, I had to break my daughter's heart.

When I returned to the seat outside the boy's room, I noticed two cops talking to a couple. The woman was crying. As soon as she saw me, she approached me. "Are you Natalie?" she asked. "Did you bring our Jason here?"

"You mean the boy who fainted at the park…Yeah, well, I got him here."

"Thank you," she said, holding my hands. "How would I repay you? My boy…he...he still has to undergo surgery, and I am praying he'll be fine. We - We shouldn't have left him alone in the park…We only recently moved to a new home, and...I am just so worried about my son right now."

"Don't worry. He's going to be fine," I said. "Please excuse me now. My daughter's alone at home. I will pray for Jason."

The woman nodded. I could see how sad she was, and something inside me told me I was right to prioritize the boy's life and pay for the ambulance.

On my way home, I thought I could convince Shirley somehow that I won't be able to get her the doll set. She would understand.

When I arrived home, she was playing in her room. She hugged me as soon as she saw me. "Mumma! How was your day?"

"It was fine, sweetie," I said. "Listen, Shirley…Mumma has to tell you something…."

"Oh ho, Mumma! Later! I need to show you something!"

Shirley ran to her room and returned with a drawing. I started sobbing like a child as soon as I saw it. She had drawn the doll set she wanted.

I held her, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I am sorry, honey. Oh, I am sorry."

"Mumma, please stop crying. What happened? Did someone hurt you?"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I wouldn't be able to buy her a gift for her birthday, which was just three days away.

Honestly, even on her birthday, I didn't have the courage to tell her she wasn't getting a present.

With a heavy heart, I stepped out of my room, and Shirley came running up to me. "Thank you, Mumma. I love you!" she said and hugged me.

I was confused. "Why is my little daughter thanking me?" I asked.

Then she asked me to follow her to our front yard, and I was shocked. There was a huge burger truck, two clowns, and a massive birthday banner that read, "Happy birthday, Shirley!"

Nothing made sense to me until I saw Jason's parents. Jason's mom had planned everything for Shirley. She learned from the hospital personnel that I was hesitant to pay for the ambulance since I was saving for my daughter's birthday.

"Oh, thank you," I cried. "This means so much to me! Thank you!"

"This is nothing compared to what you did for my son," Jason's mom told me.

Well, my daughter had the best birthday this year, and I am thankful to Jason's parents for that. Shirley told me she didn't want the doll set anymore since she had a lovely party. But I will get the doll set for her next birthday, that's a promise.

What can we learn from this story?

• Good deeds are rewarded in surprising ways. Natalie sacrificed her savings for Jason, and in return, his parents did something heartwarming for Shirley's birthday.
• Your one kind act can save someone's life. Natalie canceled Shirley's birthday gift to pay for the ambulance. Rushing him to the hospital on time saved the little boy's life.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a kind boy who gave all his savings to an old woman and received a heartwarming gift a few days later.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.