Mystery Samaritan pays parking fine while mum in Sick Kids

A MOTHER was 'overwhelmed' after a mystery donor left cash for her parking fine as she fretted by her sick son's bedside.

Mairi Holden's parking ticket and the money left. Picture: Sick Kids hospital

Mairi Holden, 35, rushed four-year-old son Oscar to the Sick Kids after he suffered a severe asthma attack, parking in the first space she found.

The youngster was unexpectedly kept in overnight, and she emerged from the hospital yesterday afternoon to discovered two parking tickets slapped on the windscreen of her pink Honda Jazz.

But to her surprise and delight she also found tucked under the penalty charge notices a cash gift of £25 along with a handwritten note from her mystery benefactor saying: “Pay it then forget it happened”.

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Mairi, who lives in Restalrig with her son, said: “I have no idea who left the ticket there or why they picked my car. I don’t know if it was somebody who knows me who saw me in the hospital or just someone who was passing.

“It’s one of those things that I will never forget and has really touched me.”

Oscar began to struggle for breath after a trip to the soft play centre, a terrifying episode known as ‘virus-induced wheezing’.

And his mother was so desperate to get him to a doctor that she said the last thing on her mind was parking fines.

The attack on Wednesday was so serious that medical staff decided to monitor his condition until the following day.

Mairi, who works as a lifestyle coach, shared the story on Facebook to express her gratitude.

She is also keen to track down the big-hearted stranger to thank him or her.

Posting a picture of the note, the cash and the parking ticket, she wrote: “Would love to find out who did this. I’m still in a lovely feeling of shock. Please share - maybe I’ll be able to get in touch with this beautiful person.

“Oscar had to stay in Sick Kids hospital, Edinburgh last night, which was really unexpected. (He’s all good now)

“Parked outside not thinking we’d be kept in. Came out to two parking tickets... Some amazing person, don’t know who, left this note and money tucked under one of the tickets.

“I’m still overwhelmed at the kindness of it. I’ll never forget it, and if anyone has any idea of who it could have been, or recognises the writing or note paper, please let me know, I’d love to be able to thank them. How unbelievably kind and thoughtful is that?”

Her post on Thursday sparked a flurry of comments praising the anonymous donor.

And within hours of going up, it had been shared more than 1,400 times and had more than 5,000 likes.

Tricia Smith wrote: “Still a lot of good people in the world”, while Collette Gillespie Casement added: “It’s great to know there’s an angel about.”

Anne Dickson commented: “It’s wonderful to think there are some thoughtful people in the world we live in today” and Kate Smith posted: “Whoever it was has a beautiful heart.”

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