Terminally ill man’s 50th-anniversary dinner ends with unexpected message on the bill: 'You're joking'

It's not every day that we meet people who are selflessly kind to others. That's probably why stories of random acts of kindness grab a lot of attention on the internet. One such wholesome incident made it to the headlines in August 2023 when a couple was left speechless by a barbecue restaurant's sweet gesture. Dawn and Paul Molineux from Southport, UK, were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary last year when the staff of Hickory's Smokehouse made it quite memorable for them, as per Liverpool Echo. Dawn was almost in tears when the bill was handed over.

The Molineux's 50th wedding anniversary fell on August 29, 2023, and they had planned a huge bash for it. But before that, the pair wanted to have their own private celebration with a dinner at Southport's Hickory's. "We went to Hickory's in Southport for a 50th wedding anniversary meal. When we booked the table, they asked if it was something special, so we put down that it was our anniversary," Paul, 68, told the news channel. The restaurant gave them a very special welcome with a table decorated with a "Happy Anniversary" sign awaiting them. 

Paul and Dawn met each other on a blind date when they were 14 and 16 respectively, and got married five decades ago. When they shared their love story with their server, James Davies, at the restaurant, they also revealed that Paul had terminal cancer. "Just lost for words," Paul wrote in a post on Southport Food Reviews Facebook Group. "We were spoken to by many of the staff, even the boss, but our main server was James and what a valued member of staff he must be to Hickory's. Just couldn't do enough for us. A wonderful meal and we even had a dessert which was fantastic. Thank you Hickory's for making our night so wonderful."

Not only was the staff extremely nice to the couple celebrating their Golden Jubilee, but they also took care of their bill. When Davies handed over the bill to the Molineuxs, Dawn was too emotional. "When he put the bill down we opened it and it said, 'Happy anniversary. The bill is on us.' It was an 80 quid (approximately $102) bill too," Paul said. "We were gobsmacked. We had to go and find the bloke. We said, 'You're joking aren't you?'" But it wasn't a joke. Turns out, Davies—who was a new general manager at the restaurant—was touched by the couple's story and Paul's battle with cancer. So, the restaurant and its staff decided to cover the pair's dinner costs that day.

Sharing a picture of the bill on the Facebook group, its admin Jeff Cavanagh wrote, "Sadly Paul is bravely battling the big C so every day and every anniversary is to be celebrated to the full. I just want to say to James Davies and all the amazing Hickory’s staff this act of kindness definitely doesn’t go unnoticed. You guys are truly fantastic." Speaking about his marriage, Paul recounted the myriad of times the couple had a fallout and their struggles during his terminal illness. "We totally intend to live life to the fullest and we've got plans for a big anniversary party in Southport. People will be coming from all over," he added.

This article originally appeared 3 months ago.