Amazon delivery driver prays outside family's home for their baby who's at risk of coronavirus

An Amazon delivery driver won people's hearts with a small but meaningful act of care and compassion for a child who's at risk for coronavirus. Monica Salinas took a few moments out of her daily route after dropping a package off at Raquel and Derek Pearson's Idaho home to say a prayer for their 8-month-old son who has a pre-existing health condition. The heartwarming moment was captured on the family's doorbell camera and shared online by the couple who were moved by the unexpected and silent show of support.

"I noticed that she was standing there, and I didn't really realize what she was doing until I saw her doing the sign of the cross. I was like 'Oh my gosh, she was praying.' I kind of choked up a bit," Raquel recalled to NBC affiliate KTVB. The Pearsons revealed on Facebook that their son, Lucas, was diagnosed with an aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA)—a congenital vascular anomaly—which is sometimes broadly referred to as a congenital heart defect. "Many people in the ARSA community often see several different types of doctors such as cardiologists, GI's, vascular surgeons, and ENTs among others," they wrote.

"ARSA is typically asymptomatic but can lead to dysphagia lusoria or other swallowing dysfunctions in a select few. Unfortunately, Lucas has had a hard time eating since birth and his symptoms have adversely affected his quality of life. Since birth, we have been on a long journey to find a solution," the couple added in a post in their Strong Like Lucas Facebook page. Since Lucas' heart condition makes him more susceptible to contracting the virus, his parents have been extremely careful about staying home and avoiding situations that might put them at risk of contracting the virus and passing it on to their baby.

"He needs special thickeners to be able to eat, otherwise he aspirates his milk, so we really depend on getting all of these supplies online so we don't have to go out to the store and bring a virus home. We just want to minimize exposure to coronavirus," Raquel revealed. Since they rely so much on online delivery services, the Pearsons decided to show their appreciation and gratitude for the delivery drivers who were helping them obtain essentials and keep their son healthy.

They left a note for delivery drivers on their front door which reads: "We have an infant with medical needs and online deliveries are essential to his health. You are helping keep our son alive and well." They never expected the note to prompt a reciprocatory gesture and were therefore surprised to see footage of an Amazon driver stopping to pray for Lucas after dropping a package off. "It's been really hard to get through this, so I'm really touched that a stranger would take time out of her day to wish our son well like that," Raquel explained. "It just meant a lot that she took that time out of her busy day to pray and send positive vibes to Lucas and our family," added Derek. "I was really touched by it."

The Pearsons learned the identity of the kind Amazon delivery driver after they posted the doorbell camera video on a local COVID-19 Facebook group where members quickly confirmed it was Salinas, who works for custom services through Amazon. "People just started blowing us up like crazy. They were like 'Did you stop and pray at a house?' and I was like 'Yeah!'" Salinas recalled after people realized she was the driver in the video. "There was a note and it said their baby's food was essential, and every time I see that note, it just touches my heart. There was a note and it said their baby's food was essential, and every time I see that note, it just touches my heart," she explained.

"It means a lot to our family, just genuine kindness. It's just a breath of fresh air to see stuff like that at a time like this when people really need to come together now more than ever," said Derek. "It's really powerful and we appreciate any positive energy that is sent to our family right now. So thank you so much, the gesture is really appreciated by myself and my family." The family has since set up a GoFundMe to raise money for Lucas' treatment at Boston Children's Hospital.