My mom was nine months pregnant and working 12-hour warehouse shifts because we were living paycheck to paycheck. One day, she felt severe pain and asked her supervisor to leave for medical help. He told her that if she left before the shift ended, she would be considered to have resigned.
Afraid of losing her job, she kept working until she collapsed. She took an Uber to the hospital, but it was too late—she lost the baby.
Three days later, while we were grieving, the same supervisor came to our door, accusing her of being lazy and using her pregnancy as an excuse. Moments later, a company executive arrived, fired the supervisor on the spot, apologized, provided bereavement pay, offered legal assistance, and even paid for the funeral.
The loss could never be undone, but his compassion reminded us that even in the darkest moments, humanity still exists.