Patrons and workers at a fast food restaurant came together in a unique way to lend their support for one of the employees. In a video that captured the moment, a crowd of employees and customers are seen gathering to say a prayer for an employee who was undergoing surgery for breast cancer that day.
In the video, the manager is heard asking if anyone from the kitchen and dining area wish to bow their heads to pray for Patricia Waters Russell, who they refer to as Ms. Trish, they can do so.
Many people are seen joining in, as the manager remarks, “One of our team members is starting surgery right now for breast cancer and we’d like to say a short prayer for her, if you’d like to join us.”
He continues: “It’s Ms. Trish… so if you all know her from our dining room, today is a rough day for us, so we’re hoping that things go well.”
The manager notes that it will be brief and shares, “I’m not great at this, but I’m going to do my best.”
He begins: “Dear Lord, please just protect Ms. Trish as she begins her surgery today. Please give the surgeon a steady hand as they perform the needed surgery on her.”
The manager continued with the prayer, saying, “Please let everybody in the surgery room be at their best today and have sharp minds and clear heads as they work on her. We need her back here. She is our light, she is the pillar in the community for us and everybody here loves her so much.”
He finished by saying, “Please, please just protect her and get her back here to brighten our days as soon as you can.”
The video was posted on Facebook by employee Susan Lackey Norris and it quickly went viral. She wrote in the video caption: “There’s many reason why I love my job, but this one certainly means so much to me. If you have ever been to Chick-fil-A in Belmont during lunch hours then you have met Ms. Trish. Ms Trish recently found out that she has breast cancer and had surgery this morning at approximately 11:52. There have been numerous times that she has stopped what she was doing and prayed with our customers. So at 11:52, we stopped what we were doing and prayed for Ms Trish.”
She added: “We love you Patricia Waters Russell and will continue to keep you in our prayers!! CFA BELMONT.”
Among the many people who responded with comments for the video were those who shared their well wishes, as one person noted: “Prayers for Ms Trish… That’s why Chick-fil-a Belmont is one of my favorite places to eat… Thanks for taking the time to pray.”
Others shared their appreciation for the fast food chain, as one person commented: “It’s awesome to see a company stop in the middle of busy lunchtime and say a prayer for their employee! May their company be blessed beyond anything they can imagine.”
Another person noted: “Doesn’t even matter if you’re Christian or not, the gesture is so beautiful. We’re rooting for you Ms. Trish!”