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West Shore mom saves stranger’s family vacation after online plea for medication

‘If you can be helpful, be helpful and if you can’t, stand back for someone who can’
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A Greater Victoria mom en route to Mexico without her son’s medication posted a ‘hail Mary’ in a local social media group early one recent morning. Her online plea was answered by West Shore resident Marina Miller, who sprung into action and arranged to have the medication waiting for the family at their hotel. (Kirsten Marten/Facebook)

Marina Miller found herself texting with a stranger at 5 a.m. It was a conversation that veered into funny, with a fellow West Shore resident a little frazzled and anxious, travelling with family on what should be the start of a fabulous Mexico vacation.

Except Kirsten Marten forgot her youngest son’s medication.

She threw up a ‘hail Mary’ on social media.

Marten posted her dilemma on a mom’s group in hopes someone might be headed their way that day or the next.

Being awake that early isn’t unusual for Miller, who became a mom at 25 when she took legal charge and became a parent to her five half-siblings. Marten’s bright and bold plea stood out and Miller realized she had the skills to help.

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“If you can be helpful, be helpful and if you can’t, stand back for someone who can,” Miller told Black Press Media. Life is experiences and hers meant she knew exactly how to handle the situation.

“We have to, as people, understand it’s action that makes change,” she said.

Miller found and purchased the required medication and had it waiting at the hotel when the Greater Victoria family arrived to start holidaying. They return this week, but Marten was so grateful and overwhelmed she thanked her new acquaintance publicly, in the same format she reached out in the first place.

Miller’s day was busy and the 5 a.m. adventure forgotten, until she got on social media that evening and found an effusive thanks from Marten.

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“Marina Miller – someone I’ve never met, let alone spoken to, reached out immediately and in a matter of minutes not only had me sorted out but had the medicine arrive at our hotel when we arrived and paid for it all herself! Her act of kindness left this exhausted and overwhelmed mom welling and filled up with love and set our trip off on the right foot,” her post read in part.

The online kudos earned hearts, love and awe in the comment section.

“People shouldn’t be shocked at what I did,” Miller said.

Little acts of kindness – and there are many in Miller’s life – can have a ripple effect. When you help someone, you never know who they’re connected to, who else it might impact now and in the future. They’re not about recognition, she said.

“We live in a time when we want to be recognized for every good thing. We don’t need recognition, we should just work on doing what’s right. I’d do that thing whether you’re looking at me or not.”

c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca


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Christine van Reeuwyk

About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

I'm dedicated to serving the community of Oak Bay as a senior journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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