An elderly woman lay in the hospital completely alone, and no one came to visit her: her only son was simply waiting for the moment when the apartment would finally become his 

I have worked in the hospital for many years, and during this time I have seen so much pain, injustice, and human cruelty. But that last case forever changed the way I see people.

The 80-year-old grandmother had been with us for almost a month — quiet, neat, grateful for every word, every glass of water. And during all that time, no one visited her. Not a single phone call, not a single guest. Only we — nurses and doctors — were by her side, and over time she opened up to us.

She told us she had a son and a daughter-in-law. When she spoke about them, her voice trembled — not from anger, but from pain. They didn’t visit, didn’t ask about her condition, didn’t care if she needed anything.

The son called only to ask one thing: was his mother still alive? He wanted her apartment — and nothing more.

Every evening, the elderly woman looked out the window as if she were waiting for someone. Sometimes she thought we didn’t notice and cried quietly.

I checked on her several times during the night, just to talk a little, so she wouldn’t feel so alone. But the poor woman’s heart — exhausted from pain and waiting — eventually couldn’t hold on any longer.

That night, only the head doctor and I were by her side. The grandmother sighed faintly, tried to say something, and then whispered weakly:

— And… my son… he still hasn’t come?..

Those were her last words. A minute later, she passed away.

The next day, we called her son to deliver the sad news. When I saw his reaction, it hurt even more than the night before.

— Good, — the son said indifferently. — I’ll come tomorrow morning to pick up her things.

But the next morning, when he arrived, a surprise was waiting for him — a surprise that made him deeply regret how he had treated his mother.  Continued in the first comment 

When he arrived, yes, there truly was a surprise waiting. We handed him an envelope containing a copy of his mother’s will.

The grandmother had arranged everything in advance — and she left her apartment to the sick children in the neighboring ward, so the money would go toward the treatment of those who had no one.

The son turned pale.

— You’re lying! This is fake! You forced her! I’ll sue you!

The head doctor calmly placed the document in front of him:

— No. She made this decision herself. She could have left the apartment to you. You only had to visit her once and ask how she was. Just once.

The son stood there, not knowing what to do with his hands. And for the first time, an emotion appeared on his face — not pain, not grief, but late, useless regret. But his mother never got to see it.