The world has gone increasingly colder as people have become more self-absorbed. On the internet, meanness is a profitable social currency that gets you popularity. However, with an estimated 26% of all American adults, ages 18 years and older, suffering from some form of mental illness and disorder every year, you don’t know who you could be hurting with your mean comments.
Similarly, as of right now, around 450 million people are currently suffering from such conditions globally. Small acts of kindness, compassion, and love can go a long way in helping someone find the hope and strength they need to fight through. The story of Katie Battel is a reminder that sometimes, all we need is a little compassion.
Katie Battel, 28, waited tables at Sato in Buffalo Elmwood Village. She was a young, beautiful, and intelligent woman. By the looks of it, everything seemed perfect about her.
She served with a smile and always had a very supportive attitude towards her colleagues. Everything seemed so normal that no one would have ever guessed what she was going through in her life.
Katie Battel lived a simple life; she was not the outgoing type. She had a handful of friends and her other social interactions were with her customers at Sato.
It was not much but Katie never complained. Her customers were happy with her service; her friends trusted her and that was the entire fulfillment she needed from her life.
It was a regular Friday night at Sato’s as Katie was getting ready for her shift. She waited at the tables and greeted the customers. She was visibly distressed.
She tried to act as normally as she could, but how could she. It was a difficult phase in her life. But Katie could never have guessed that she was in for the surprise of her life.
Brett Ransom, a Buffalo school teacher, and his wife were waiting for their meals at one of Katie’s tables. While she was serving their meals, Brett noticed something peculiar on Katie’s wrist.
There was a small semi-colon tattoo on Katie’s wrist. Brett told her wife about what he had seen, and they decided to act on it.
Brett decided to leave her a note on the back of his dinner bill, in the hopes that it would make Katie notice that someone somewhere had seen the tattoo and understood what it meant.
His small act led to a chain of events that even he couldn’t have predicted.
Katie had a dark secret that she had been hiding from everyone for years. She would carry it in her heart and it was weighing her down. That semi-colon tattoo was the only way she could remain grounded.
Very few people understood what it meant, so she felt safe. Until her chance encounter with her customer proved that she wasn’t.
The night before her Friday shift at Sato, Katie again felt herself slipping away into a dark place. But this time, it was different. She felt like her past anxiety and traumas were finally catching up to her.
Katie felt helpless and scared as a wave of panic swept over her body. As Katie would later mention, she told one of her colleagues that “I’m having those thoughts again,” and there was nothing else that she could do about it.
Katie, despite her best effort, sometimes felt overwhelmed with depression and anxiety. She tried to take her own life when she was just 21 years old and had been coping with depression and panic disorder ever since. Sometimes it was all she could think of, but she kept fighting off those feelings.
However, Katie stayed strong; she never let her emotions get the better of her. Little did she know that she was about to face a life-changing moment.
Brett had left Katie with a simple message on his dinner bill. The bill read: “We noticed your semicolon tattoo, we're glad that you're still here and that you helped us have a great meal. Thanks”. And as Katie was collecting it, she saw what he had written, and she started to cry.
She never thought something so simple could have such a profound impact on her. Maybe it was the timing of it all. But whatever it was, it gave Katie the spirit that she needed to carry through.
This usually never happened to Katie. She could never have imagined that someone might actually notice.
It was a complete shock to her. She tried to get back to the couple, but by then, they had already left.
For decades, the semi-colon tattoo had been a symbol of solidarity for people with suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues. All this time, no other customer had noticed this about Katie.
He was the first person to spot that, and Brett himself believed that anybody who struggles with mental health issues deserves to know that they are not alone. He had great appreciation and support for people going through these issues, and he decided to give Katie a simple surprise.
She had received an incredible act of kindness and that too from a total stranger. This restored her faith in humanity. She finally felt supported.
Her tattoo had a very special and personal place in her heart. It symbolized her struggles, and someone to notice and appreciate it meant the world to her.
Katie never openly talked about her past. Only a few people, who had known Katie for years knew what she was going through. The semi-colon tattoo was the only thing symbolizing her strength.
It was a part of her identity and she was not afraid to show it. But in all her years of serving at Sato, Brett was the first person to ever notice it and act on it.
Brett knew that most people avoid such acts and gestures, especially with strangers. But he did it anyway, as he felt the compulsion to do so. And Katie never expected anyone to show such love and support. But she received it.
Right at the moment where she needed it the most. This was truly like a scene out of a movie, pure coincidence, and perfect timing. It was an ideal example of serendipity-something that happens by chance in a positive way. But that was just the beginning for Katie.
The month of May is Mental Health Awareness month. If that was what registered in Brett’s subconscious and pushed him to write the note, we will never know.
What we do know, however, is that everyone deserves to be seen and a little act of kindness could set the wheel in motion for something bigger.
After her surreal experience, Katie decided to upload a screenshot of the bill to her Twitter, penning down her appreciation for the couple. She only wanted to share her appreciation and gratitude for the couple, but that was not all.
The universe had another surprise for her.
Her post took off on Twitter, receiving more than 300,000 likes. Thousands of people were sharing her post and sharing their semi-colon tattoos.
She saw thousands of people showing their support and appreciation for her, which breathed new life into Katie.
She now knew that she was not alone in her battle. Seeing so many people sharing their stories, struggles, and efforts, made Katie believe that she is not alone in her battle with depression.
Now there was only one thing left to do.
She had to reach out to the couple that changed her life. So she messaged Brett on Twitter telling him about how their message reached out to her at a challenging time. Katie told him that the world needs more people like them, and how appreciative she was to both of them. Brett at the time didn’t know that the story had become viral.
Brett told Katie that, a little positivity could go a long way in these challenging times. And he was not wrong. Soon he was about to find out why.
Brett, a Buffalo school teacher lived a simple life, and being a part of a viral phenomenon was the last thing on his mind. As the story was gaining more and more momentum, a local news source decided to cover the story on their channel.
And why shouldn’t they; no one could ignore something so wholesome and pure. And to Brett and Katie’s surprise, they were about to be local heroes.
The story aired in May which is as mental health awareness month. As more and more people came to know of it, it generated a wave of positivity in the community.
The coverage received worldwide recognition and played a great role in spreading a beautiful message in these challenging times.
At first, only Katie’s closest friends knew what she was going through.
They all supported her in their own way, but receiving the attention which she did was nothing short of a miracle for her.
Brett and Katie received a great deal of appreciation from the whole community. Katie believed that her story might give someone the hope that they need to carry through in life.
She said: “if sharing my journey can help one — at least just one person — that you're not the only one who feels this way, but we still need you here.” She believed it was a sign from the universe, a sign that assured her to fight through.
Brett and Katie’s story reminds us always to show support to our fellow people.
Often we tend to ignore the symptoms and indications of depression and anxiety, or we just refuse to talk about it.
After seeing the story, Melinda DuBois, the executive director of Mental Health Advocates of WNY said in her interview: “When we notice somebody that’s struggling, or we notice that somebody's been struggling and is doing well — to really reach out to folks and talk to each other about their mental health.
If people would do more of that, we would be creating such a wonderful spirit and positivity in the world.” As a community that is something that we should always remember.
Recently Katie and Brett launched a series of merchandise to further spread their message. Katie is trying to create a safe space for people suffering from mental illnesses to provide them with a community that understands and helps.
So far, they have been spreading their message and now Katie looks forward to helping others like her.
After the fateful incident, Katie decided to pursue a mission to further fight for mental health awareness and show her support to the people of the community. Brett and Katie are still in contact and they are doing what they can for the cause.
Life can be challenging sometimes, our struggles sometimes get the best of us, but with a little compassion and love, we can make it a whole lot easier.
Like Katie, there are many people out there going through mental traumas and disorders. By just sparing some time, talking, supporting, loving, we could make a remarkable difference in someone’s life.
It’s always the little things that count.
Katie’s story reminded us that it’s the little things in life that matter.
A small gesture can make a big impact, a simple smile can brighten up someone’s day, and in Katie’s case, a simple token of appreciation changed her life.