A Rhode Island pizza delivery man was met with more than just growling bellies on Saturday night.
Ryan Catterson was dropping off the pizza to the home of Lindsey Sheely in West Warwick on Saturday when her 2-year-old son, Cohen, ran out onto the porch and gave Catterson a big hug, WLNE reported.
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While Sheely posted the adorable moment on her Instagram, she did not think much of it.
“I put it up on my Instagram. Actually, I just put it up in my (Instagram) stories because we thought it was funny and cute,” she told the outlet.
However, that small gesture was monumental to Catterson, who was grieving the loss of his 16-year-old daughter, Alyssa, the past week.
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“After losing my daughter this past week, it just touched me because it was like she was there, you know, and it just meant a ton to me,” he said to WLNE.
Catterson said his daughter, who lived in California with his ex-wife, had passed away after struggling with mental health issues.
"It truly felt like my daughter and the universe came together, and gave me a hug of support that I really needed in that moment," Catterson told Sheely, the woman shared with Fox News.
After the clip of the heartwarming moment made the rounds on social media, Catterson reached out to Sheely to share how important the hug was to him.
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“Through this, we found out that Ryan unexpectedly lost his daughter recently, and that hug from Cohen was a little blessing from God. I believe in divine appointments and know that Ryan was the one to deliver our pizza for a reason. Please keep him and his family in prayer!” Sheely shared on Instagram.
“Beautiful story and the power of a small hug,” one person commented.
“How beautiful of your sweet son to give meaningfully in a way he knows how,” another wrote.
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“I love when God brings things together. So amazing. RIP to his daughter. Praying for strength,” another wrote.
"We know that God was working through my son to bring Ryan and his family a little glimmer of light and hope, at a time they truly needed it," Sheely said to Fox News.
Catterson also shared some words of advice for other parents after experiencing tragedy.
"If I could tell the world one thing- it's to make sure you check on your kids constantly, because you never know what they might be struggling with internally. We get really caught up in the fast pace of life, and I think sometimes that causes us to lose sight of what actually matters- which is mental wellbeing. You never know when the last time you see someone you love will be, so I hope tonight every parent out there takes a few minutes to explain to their children how much they love them," Catterson said, Sheely shared with Fox News.
Catterson and his family have started a GoFundMe page for Alyssa's funeral expenses.