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Grieving mom's heartwarming act of kindness at Florida Publix goes viral

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Publix employee in Jacksonville, Florida, took to Facebook after a kind gesture by a grieving mom.

Nick DeClemente said he was at work Oct. 10 when a woman walked up to the bakery counter and asked if there were any first birthday cakes on order.

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He said he asked for the customer name, thinking she wanted to pay for a specific person.

DeClemente said she replied no, that she wanted to anonymously pay for a cake.

"She then started to tear up and tell me that she had a stillborn child a year ago and in tribute to him she wanted to pay for someone else's cake," he wrote on Facebook. "I went to the cake order drawer and found this one. She told me thank you and appreciated that I let her do this.

A lady just came up to the bakery counter and asked if we had any 1st birthday cakes on order for Saturday or Sunday. ...

Posted by Nick DeClemente on Wednesday, October 10, 2018

DeClemente said it was one of the most touching things he'd seen in all of his years working in retail.

"I hope that this lady finds peace through this tribute and that the customer receiving this gift will, if nothing else, pay it forward," he said.

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DeClemente said he hopes to see the mom again, so he can share with her all of the positive comments he's gotten since sharing the story.