A small Ottawa pizza shop is getting the praise of its community after the owner went out of his way to help one of his regular customers when she got sick with COVID-19.
Lorna Forbes visits Ogilvie Pizza on Montreal Road at least twice a week. Last weekend she contracted COVID-19 and became very ill. She was in isolation, feeling distraught, and called her favourite pizza place to see if they could deliver something to drink.
"And he’s like, 'What’s going on Lorna? And I said, 'I’m really sick I think I have COVID,'" says Forbes. "I said, 'Can you please just bring me a can of ginger ale?'"
Ogilvie Pizza owner Hani Soueid decided to go above and beyond. When he realized how sick she was, he had more than just soda dropped off.
"And I came in, opened the bag, and it was every medication you need to fight a cold," said Forbes.
Soueid has owned the pizza shop for three years, and he's had a rough week too. His shop was broken into just two days before he got the call from Forbes. Still, he stepped up to help.
"I just got a phone call from her, and she was crying to be honest," says Soueid. "Right away, I grabbed my driver and I told him, 'Please go to the Circle K and grab her all this medicine. Take ginger ale, give her whatever she needs, make sure she's ok, and come back.'"
When Forbes called back the next day to thank Soueid, his father Mayez answered. She told him everything his son did for her.
"My son, he did an excellent job. That’s the way I raised him,” says Mayez. "I was crying on the phone with her. I was so shocked. She told me, 'I’m very happy, you know how to raise your son. You raised your son very well.'"
At one point Forbes symptoms were so bad she went to hospital. Soueid called her every day to make sure she was ok. She’s now feeling much better, and grateful for his kindness.
"She’s a great person," says Soueid. "I’m happy she’s doing better. We’re just trying to help the community man."
Forbes adds, "This guy really does help our community out. If somebody is struggling, he’ll help you.”
A Good Samaritan just doing his day job, no matter which way you slice it.