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Mystery diner picks up family’s tab, leaves note of encouragement

A note left to a family by a mystery diner who also picked up the family's tab.

A mystery diner's generosity — and inspiring note — is going viral.

Ashley England and her family went out to dinner at the Stag & Doe Pizza House in China Grove, North Carolina, last Friday evening.

As the family dined, England's 8-year-old son, Riley, who has special needs and is non-verbal, began to get "a little rowdy," she told WBTV.

"He threw the phone and started screaming," she recalled. "The past few weeks have been very hard and trying for us — especially with public outings. Riley was getting loud and hitting the table and I know it was aggravating to some people."

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Riley has endured three major brain surgeries for a severe form of epilepsy. He used to have more than 100 seizures a day. His inability to speak often leads to loud outbursts, England told WBTV.

As England got up from the table to leave, a waitress approached her with a note.

"She just walks over, and I remember she had tears in her eyes. And I just remember her saying, 'I hope I can do this without crying, but your meal's been paid for,' and handed the note that they wanted me to give," England told WSMV.

The note, a photo of which has since gone viral, simply read:

"God only gives special children to special people."

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England said the mystery customer's kindness made her cry.

"I just broke down, the past month has just been so hard," she told CNN.

"To have someone do that small act towards us shows that some people absolutely understand what we are going through and how hard it is to face the public sometimes," she told WBTV. "They made me cry, blessed me more than they know — I felt like out of all the rude negative comments that we are faced with — these outweighs them. The people who care!"

"Dear stranger, thank you for giving me a blessing tonight in a way you will never know," England wrote on her Facebook page.