Restaurant owner learns of dying woman's last wish, drives 6 hours to fulfill it

Amid the constant stream of troubling headlines, acts of kindness remind us of the compassion and humanity that still thrive in the world. One such story comes from North Carolina, where a restaurant owner made an extraordinary effort to fulfill the dying wish of a woman he had never met. Traveling across state lines and driving six hours, Kevin Cherry, the owner of Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill in the Outer Banks, delivered a meal that held profound significance to a woman spending her final days, as reported by 10 On Your Side.

Heather Bowers, a devoted mother of two from West Virginia, had been battling Stage 4 cancer for over three and a half years. Her best friend, Mary Elton Simmons, described her as a warrior who faced the relentless toll of her illness with courage. By late February, Bowers’s condition had deteriorated significantly; the chemotherapy she endured was attacking not only her tumors but also her healthy cells. Aware that her time was running short, Simmons wanted to honor her friend’s last request: a pork plate from her favorite restaurant, Mama Kwan’s.

When Cherry received the unusual call about delivering a meal to fulfill a dying wish, he didn’t hesitate. He prepared the dish and made the six-hour journey to ensure it arrived on time. His selfless act brought a moment of comfort and joy to Bowers in her final days, illustrating how a simple gesture can create an indelible impact.

Though Simmons wasn't sure if it was possible, she just went for it and called Cherry about the pork plate. To her surprise, Cherry dropped everything at his restaurant and rushed across the state to deliver Bowers's favorite meal. When Simmons was wondering if the food would be shipped to West Virginia, Cherry decided to act on it himself. Speaking to the news channel Cherry said that he didn't have to think twice about this delivery and that anyone would have done the same thing for the dying woman. However, Cherry had to be prepared emotionally. "About halfway up, I had to turn the radio off and had to talk to myself, saying, 'You can’t walk in here like this. You’ve got to walk in with a little bit of sunshine from the Outer Banks,'" said the restaurant owner. Turns out, the pork plate from Mama Kwans was one of the last meals that Bowers had before she passed away the next day after Cherry's kind act.

Touched by Bowers's story, Cherry has planned to make a $1,000 donation to the West Virginia hospice care center where she spent her final days. In a Facebook post, Simmons expressed her gratitude for Cherry calling him "one of the most genuine people in the world." The post read, "He made one of her last wishes come true. She wanted a meal from her family’s favorite vacation restaurant. This is something he didn’t want recognition for, however, kindness at this level deserves it!" Speaking to the news channel, Simmons said, "I just think maybe, if people see that kind of kindness, it’ll start spreading. That’s the hope. He made her smile—one of the final smiles of her life."

This article originally appeared 8 months ago.