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It's a scenario many of us are familiar with; you're minutes away from finishing work for the day, when either the door goes, or the telephone rings, or someone asks you to do something.

More often than not, when you're so tantalisingly close to home time, this sort of scenario is as irritating as it is frustrating.

But for one Melbourne-based photographer, it changed his whole life .

The anonymous man shared his story on Not Always Right , about what happened a few years ago, at about ten to six in the evening.

Explaining a little about the work he does, he says, "We are well known for our children’s portraits, and we range from high-end portraits for modelling jobs to fun sibling photos and birth announcements.

(Image: Getty Images)

"We do a bit of everything; as such, we are extremely busy, and it states on our website that we do not accept walk-ins. We are usually booked up six months in advance.

"One day, ten minutes before closing, a mum walks in with a young girl around six or seven behind her. I internally groan."



It's a reaction a lot of other people would be guilty of, and his worst fears were confirmed when the mum says, "I know you're closing soon, but I have a special favour to ask."

Yet whatever it is he might have said or told her remained unspoken, as, at that moment, he notices her daughter.

"At this point the little girl peeks around her mother's legs and I'm lost for words.

"Under her thick winter coat and hat, she is skeletally thin with huge dark circles under her eyes.

(Image: EyeEm Premium)

"From what I can tell, she has no hair, and a tube taped to her cheek that feeds into her nose. It is immediately clear this kid is very, very sick."

The mum explains, "'My daughter saw one of your photos taped to the wall at the hospital. She REALLY loves unicorns and the photo had a girl photo-shopped onto a horse.

"'I know you’re booked up, and it's months before the next appointment, but…'

"At this point she actually starts crying. I realise that our next available appointment is probably way too far away for this particular kid."

Both the mum's clear distress at her daughter's illness and the young girl's appearance affected the photographer deeply, and he admits:

(Image: Getty)

"I am a very big dude, covered in tattoos and a beard, but I’m not ashamed to say I needed a minute before I spoke."

But he knew exactly what to say to her.

"'Aww' he replied, "'that's just for regular customers! I've been waiting all day to take a photo of someone as beautiful as you! What's your name, sweetheart?'

"I lock the front door and spend the next three hours taking photos of this kid in every princess costume I have in my closet. She is the sweetest, most well-behaved kid I have ever worked with.

"Once we're done she curls up on the couch in my office and falls asleep while I load up the photos for her mum to see and choose the ones she likes best, and ask her what kind of retouching she'd like done.

"She's adamant that I leave her daughter as is - apparently the little girl has been worried for the past month that she is no longer 'pretty')."

When the mum got her card out to pay, he refused to accept a single penny off her, despite her insisting otherwise.

A few days later he emails the mum the link with the photos, and can see they've been downloaded, but receives no other word from her.

He adds: "I think nothing of it, hoping my sweet little friend loved her photos."

Six months go past, then one evening he gets a surprise little visitor.

"I'm once again closing up when a very familiar face pops up at my window, grinning and waving frantically.

(Image: Getty)

"'Hi!' she says, 'I'm better! Look, I'm better!'

"Sure enough, she'd put on some weight, was flushed and pink, and had a fine fuzz of hair over her head.

"Her mother was a few steps behind her, grinning. She once again tried to force an envelope full of money into my hand, and again I refused.

"She got frustrated and eventually in her exasperation said, 'at least let us take you to dinner!' which I happily accepted.

"Seven years later that photo of a sick little girl astride a giant pink unicorn is in a frame in my lounge room. My now-step-daughter groans every time I point it out to the friends she brings home!"