Some people might be too scared to ask staff at Karen's Diner to work on a day off, but when they got a special request to help grant a wish for a Welsh 'diva' they were happy to help out.
Tiarna Mitchell-Knight, who has been receiving full-time care at Ty Hafan since October, had a wish to visit Karen’s Diner after watching TikTok videos from the infamous restaurant from her hospital bed. When it wasn’t possible for the 12-year-old to go to the Newport restaurant, local charity Dreams & Wishes organised for staff to come to her.
Mum Stacey, from Rumney, Cardiff, explained: "Tiarna is a big fan of the Karen's Diner TikTok videos and said she would really love to go but she is not well enough to travel. I got in touch with Dreams & Wishes and they had it sorted that the team would come to us instead within 24 hours. It has been amazing to be all together with Tiarna, to see her smiling and to be able to laugh ourselves." You can get more Cardiff news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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Dad Rupert said: "I wasn't quite sure what to expect but seeing everyone laughing and seeing what it means for Tiarna is just amazing."
Tiarna's older sister Mya, 16, brother Jordan, eight, and two-year-old Learah were also there to see their sister's wish come true and the family sat down to a banquet of food that the team had brought with them.
Dropping out of character for a few moments, Elinor Hardwidge, the venue manager for Karen's Diner Newport, explained what it meant to get involved. "This is the first time any of our teams have been asked to do anything like this, but we were more than happy to be able to help out," she said. "It has been such an amazing experience for us and we were so grateful to be able to help out.
"Even though we are incredibly rude, we do like to see the smiles on people's faces and hearing the laughter made it very special for us."
Back in style, the diner tweeted: "Obviously, Mother Karen still had a chip on her shoulder for having to miss her Tuesday afternoon foot massage, but the Karens hit the road and arrived in true Karen-style. The insults were flowing, the banter was real and our hilariously fun games were endured. Oh, and to top it off, our bloody good food was served for all to enjoy
"All in all, a successful and bloody rewarding day for our Karens…terrible service at its very best. Now, pass me the vino and do not ever ask me to work a Tuesday again."
A spokesperson for Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice said: “We are delighted to be working with Dreams & Wishes to support a very special young lady and her family to make priceless memories in the time they have left together.
“Memory making and helping children and young people to fulfil special wishes is an important part of the support Tŷ Hafan provides and working with charities like Dreams & Wishes helps to make magic happen for families. We are delighted that everything came together so quickly to get this wish fulfilled.”
Tony Curtis, from Dreams & Wishes, said: "We managed to get the request turnaround in super quick time and we are very grateful to the team at Karen's Diner for helping us out. Hearing everyone's laughter and seeing Tiarna's family coming together to make memories was why we do what we do."
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