A vulnerable man who has barely left his house during the pandemic has thanked a supermarket worker for her compassion and kindness.

Rob Perry, 61, has been shielding due to a number of health issues and has relied on others, such as his daughter Hannah, to do his shopping for him.

But on January 30, after feeling particularly isolated, the Durrington resident decided to embark on a quick trip to Aldi to pick up a few essentials.

There, he was struck by the kindness of employee Dawnie Healey who did not hesitate to help when he was struggling.

"Even though you are encouraged to place your shopping back in your trolley and move aside to pack, the young lady on the till, Dawnie, held other shoppers back whilst I was able to sort most of the shop into my bags," he said.

"If this and her extreme patience weren’t enough of a kindness, when I reached into my pocket I realised my wallet was at home.

"Without hesitation, Dawnie reached for her purse, paid for my shopping, and I genuinely had to persuade her to share her contact details so I could repay her.

"To say I am humbled is a huge understatement, and I cannot help but think, if only this world was filled with many more people like Dawnie, we would live in a fantastic world. 

"To most this may not seem a huge deal, but to a hard-nosed bloke, I was so emotionally moved by such a gesture."

Although his shopping only amounted to £24.63, Rob is extremely grateful for Dawnie's kindness and would like to thank her by publicly sharing his story.

"She is a star," he said.

Dawnie Healey, store assistant at the store on Salisbury Road, said: “Rob is one of our lovely regulars, and when he realised he’d forgotten his wallet I didn’t hesitate to offer a helping hand.

“He was incredibly grateful and despite my best efforts to convince him that he doesn’t need to pay me back, he still reimbursed me the same evening.”

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