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Act of kindness: Why this McDonald's worker abruptly closed his register

The account of a McDonald's worker's Sept. 16 act of kindness has gone viral. Her original post to Facebook has been shared more than 300,000 times since.

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Mike Blake/Reuters/File
A McDonald's restaurant is pictured in Encinitas, Calif., September 9, 2014. A Chicago McDonald's employee's decision to close his register to help a disabled, elderly man eat his food has went viral online this month.

When an elderly disabled man asked a fast-food worker named Kenny to help him eat his food at the height of rush hour in downtown Chicago, Kenny didn’t hesitate to oblige.

To the surprise and admiration of a fellow patron, Kenny closed his register, put on some gloves, headed over to the wheelchaired man’s table, and began to cut his food for him.

The act was captured by a patron, who then posted a picture and her account of the story on Facebook last week. Since then, the post has garnered more than 300,000 shares.

Today I made a quick stop at McDonald's after work. As I waited in line to order, an elderly handicapped gentleman wheeled himself over to the cashier in front of me,” Destiny Carreno writes in the viral post. “The man politely tried to ask the cashier something and it took him a few tries before either of us could understand he was saying ‘Help me please.’”

“To be honest, I thought the cashier wasn't going to help, especially during rush hour in downtown Chicago, but to my shock, he shut down his register and disappeared from view,” Ms. Carreno continues.

When she finally saw that Kenny had left the kitchen to help the man eat, Carreno said she was moved to tears.

“At that point, the tears started to gather in my eyes. My heart was so appreciative for what he did. I couldn't contain my emotions in the crowded restaurant,” she goes on.

NBC 5 Chicago reports that Rod Lubeznik, the owner of the McDonald’s, said in a statement that the company is very proud of the employee, who they identified as Kenny.

"It's a true testament to who Kenny is, and as a reminder to us all that one seemingly small act of kindness can touch the hearts of so many," Lubeznik said.

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