Olive Garden employee comforts family, visits young customer in the hospital after surgery

AKRON, Ohio (STORYFUL) - A restaurant worker went above and beyond for a young customer who was undergoing brain surgery to treat his severe epilepsy. 

Krista Gallagher says she and her son, Tommy, were dining with their family at an Olive Garden in Akron, Ohio one Friday night in October when Tommy told their server, Drew Lewis, that he was going to have surgery soon. 

Lewis had gotten Tommy a bunch of mints while they talked through the surgery, Krista Gallagher said. The two bonded during dinner because Lewis is training to be a police officer and Tommy told him he also wanted to be a police officer when he grew up.

Tommy told Lewis that if he wasn't busy, he could come see him in the hospital if he wanted, and Tommy's mother says that's just what he did. Lewis "showed up on Monday and sat with family he didn’t even know, for 6 1/2 hours out of the 8 1/2 hours of surgery," she wrote on Facebook. "He talked with us, calmed us, took our mind off things and got to know us and our friends," she said. 

When Tommy woke up, Lewis was there with an Akron police shirt and a card that Lewis had his entire class and commander sign. 

"He stood in that ICU waiting for Tommy to open his eyes so he could fulfill his promise to an 8 year old boy he did not know," Gallagher said. 

Lewis wrote about the experience himself on his own Facebook page. "This Friday was one of the best nights I've had at work in a long time," he wrote. He said he had noticed the boy was wearing a #TommyStrong shirt and wondered why, and that's how he found out the eight-year-old was about to go through surgery. 

"I promised Tommy Gallagher that I would be there today," he wrote. "This kid showed me how to be strong and handle the diversity life throws at you. Get well soon Tommy Gallagher," he said.

Krista Gallagher was so touched by the random act of kindness from a complete stranger. She said Lewis has been there again to visit as Tommy recovered. "That my friends is an outstanding human being," she wrote. "God sent Tommy an angel to be with him and we are so thankful!"