A shopkeeper to the rescue with a birthday surprise
A CANCER patient who “lives for her birthday” received a special surprise thanks to a kind-hearted member of her community.
Jennifer Dadswell was left with life-long injuries when she became the victim of a hit-andrun at seven years old, leaving her with the mental capacity of a child.
She was gutted to find that she would celebrate her 71st birthday in lockdown without the traditional celebrations and company of her whole family.
Yet in a mission to make her day, the owner of her local shop delivered a birthday cake and chocolates to her home in Jarrow.
Paula Dadswell, who cares for her cousin, said: “This is a really special moment for Jennifer, as there is not much we can do for her at the moment due to the lockdown. The biggest thing for her is having a birthday cake so she will be made up when she finds out.”
The cake and chocolates were delivered by Tahir Ali, owner of the Scotch Estate Premier Top Shop in Jarrow, which Jennifer would visit frequently before the lockdown.
Tahir, also known as Nico, and his brother Taz often handed Jennifer a chocolate bar when she came to the shop and always made her feel welcome.
Paula, 47, said: “When Jennifer was knocked down, the witnesses actually thought she was dead as the impact was so severe.
“She had to undergo hours of surgery to stitch her arm back on and for years afterwards she would always wear long-sleeved tops to hide her scars and she would never talk to anyone.
“Now she is so confident and I have taught her to be proud of her scars. She is a real inspiration.”
With her new-found confidence, Jennifer loves to be in the company of others.
She is popular with nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, where she regularly receives treatment for her Hodgkin lymphoma cancer, which develops in the lymphatic system.
Paula added: “Some people will talk to Jennifer differently because of her learning disability but Nico and Taz never have.
“They talk to her in the same way they would to anybody else.
“She is really missing her visit to the shop at the moment because she would get chocolate bars, cuddles and a good conversation - it was the highlight of her day.
“Now because of lockdown she cannot leave her home, so Jennifer will be absolutely made up to see Nico’s face - she will be in tears when she sees him.
“Nico is amazing, he has done so much for my family and the whole of Scotch Estate.”