An aerobatic pilot drew a smile in the sky for a hospice patient who was overdue for a smile on his face. And while the gesture was meant for one person, it brought joy to an entire town.
The massive face appeared over Worchester, England, last month, and brightened the days of thousands. Worchester News looked into the artwork and discovered that a man named Rich Goodwin created it for a friend named Ray Stanton, who is a patient with St Richard’s Hospice, an independent charity caring for adults with serious progressive illnesses.
Ray, 66, worked as a transportation engineer and loves airplanes. As a young man, he would often take his children to air shows and aeronautical museums.
“To see the smile in the sky and then look at Ray’s smile was just fantastic,” Rich told the publication.
“I haven’t seen him smile for a while,” he said before adding that hospice’s care “is above and beyond anything.”
Hospice Patient’s Family Thanks Pilot For the ‘Precious Memories’
St Richard’s Hospice helps over 3,000 patients, family members, and grieving people each year. The organization gets funding from the country’s National Health Service (NHS). Donations cover the rest of the costs.
“This was such a special moment for everyone watching – and we feel privileged to have helped make it happen for Ray and his family,” Chief Executive at St Richard’s Hospice Mike Wilkerson told the publication.
Ray watched Rich draw the smile in the sky from outside his home in Worchester. His wife, Angela Stanton, and children, Sophie-Rae Byrne and Matthew Stanton, were by his side.
“We would like to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to Rich for creating such precious memories for Ray, his family, and everyone who witnessed the smile in the sky,” said Ray’s family.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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