Having a sick child can be extremely stressful, especially for parents who have to work long hours to support their family. While there is nothing worse than seeing your child suffer, it is even more unbearable to fathom not making enough money to care for them when they need you most.
Amy Palmer and her husband Andre are extremely familiar with this struggle. While Amy was by her young son’s side at a hospital in Pennsylvania, her husband Andre was wrapping up his overnight shift and dropping their daughter off at daycare. He then quickly rushed over to the hospital to see their son.
When he arrived, Amy was already asleep in a chair beside their son’s crib, and the little boy was dozing as well. While Andre was happy to finally be with his family, he didn’t want to disturb their sleep to let them know he had arrived. So, the hard-working father grabbed a pillow and decided to settle in and get some rest as well. He made himself a little bed under his son’s crib.
As soon as Amy awoke, she saw her husband dozing underneath the crib, and she couldn’t help but snap a picture of the touching moment. “This is a picture of a hard working man dedicated to his family!! After working all night third shift, he's right here with his son who is in the hospital. He's so tired but he's here!! Father of the year award goes to Andre Palmer!!!” she wrote.
Much to Amy’s surprise, her photo went viral. Over 26,000 people shared the image, and dozens of people commenting, sharing their praises for the family man and all his hard work.
Amy followed up with more details on the story in the comments section:“The room was so small the only thing that fit was the chair bed and the crib. He came in when he got off work early in the morning and I was still half asleep that's why he laid there. I had to take a picture because to many, all they see is a man lying on the floor.”
Luckily, their son was discharged soon after the photo was taken. “To me I saw a man who worked all night, who could have went home to go to sleep (I wouldn't have minded knowing he worked all night), who could have asked me to get up so he could lay down. All this shows the amazing husband and father he is!!! I didn't let him there long. I made him get up and he laid on the chair bed and slept. Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts, our little man was discharged this afternoon and is now resting at home. And daddy is sleeping, getting his rest for a 12 hour shift tonight.”
What a hard working father and a loving family! This picture truly captures the power of a father’s love for his wife and children.
