A little boy was left distraught when he lost all his birthday money in a Tesco store - before a Good Samaritan came to the rescue.
Preston had received £15 for his fourth birthday, with his mum taking him to the supermarket so he could pick out a new toy.
He opted for a miniature helicopter and went to pay, however after reaching the till the youngster from Hull realised he no longer had the cash, the Mirror reports.
Preston and his mum tried retracing their steps but the money had disappeared, with the young boy reduced to tears as he watched staff return his toy back to the shelve.
However, his luck suddenly turned around when a kind-hearted stranger overheard the situation - and handed Preston £20 for his birthday.
His mother Karen said: "I retraced my tracks but couldn't find the money then this very kind lady asked my son what was the matter.
"Preston said it was his birthday and he had lost his pennies for his helicopter. The lady then took out her purse and passed my son a £20 note and said, 'Go get your aeroplane'."
Karen said the act of kindness by a total stranger nearly left her in tears and made her son's day. Preston instantly stopped crying and thanked the woman with a hug. Karen also expressed her gratitude to the woman whose name she initially did not know.
Keen to thank her again, Karen later tried to track her down via social media and posted an appeal online, prompting Donna, the kind-hearted stranger, to come forward.
Donna, who does not wish to give her second name, said helping Preston when she saw him crying was a no-brainer for her.
She said: "I could see it was his birthday as he had a badge on. I asked him what was the matter and he told me he had lost his pennies for his birthday. His mum said it must have fallen out of his pocket in the supermarket.
"The lady at Tesco was trying to help and the mum was looking around the store for it. I asked how much he had lost and he said £15 so I gave him £20 and told him to get his helicopter."
Donna, of west Hull added: "He gave me a big hug and ran off to get it. He was so excited. His mum thanked me and said she could not believe it.
"But, for me, no one wants to be upset on their birthday, particularly a young child. He was upset and I knew I could make him feel better."
Donna initially didn't realise Karen was trying to reach out to her as she does not use Facebook. It wasn't until she saw a notice pinned up at work that she found out.
"She got in touch with me which was a complete shock. We spoke on the phone and she offered to send me a card," said Donna.
"However, I told her if she has any money to spare then spend it on the children. My reward was the hug from the birthday boy."
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