WARWICK, R.I. – A little boy’s simple act of kindness ended up meaning the world to a pizza delivery man in Rhode Island, WLNE reports.
Saturday night, the 2-year-old boy ran up to Ryan Catterson and gave the delivery man a big hug.
The precious moment was caught on the family’s doorbell camera and the boy’s mother, Lindsey Sheely, ended up posting it online.
"I put it up on my Instagram because we thought it was funny and cute," Sheely told WLNE.
What Sheely didn’t know at the time is what that moment meant for the man behind the pizza box, Ryan Catterson.
"After losing my daughter this past week, it touched me because it was like she was there,” said Catterson. “And it just meant a ton to me."
Catterson’s 16-year-old daughter, who lived with his ex-wife in California, struggled with her mental health and recently passed away unexpectedly.
Eventually, the video made its way to Catterson and he reached out to tell Sheely how much it meant to him.
"It's going to be tough not going to be able to hug her again,” said Catterson.
His ex-wife, Danielle McCord, says the 2-year-old boy taught everyone a valuable lesson, without even realizing it.
"It's so easy to miss people and their internal pain, but it even goes to our daughter,” said McCord. “We didn't know her pain. I can't help but be grateful that someone saw his pain and could be there for him."
For Catterson, it’s a hug that lasted just a few second, but also a moment he’ll never let go of.
"A lot of people are commenting that may have been her looking out for me,” said Catterson. “Those words mean something. Maybe she's there."
CNN and
WLNE
contributed to this report.
