Coventry Walmart cashier goes above and beyond to help man with Alzheimer's at checkout

COVENTRY, R.I. (WJAR) — A Coventry Walmart cashier recently went above and beyond her job duties to help a couple in need.

For 15 years, Lisa Pelchat has worked at the Walmart on Centre of New England Boulevard.

“I’ve met a lot of really nice people so that’s been really nice," said Pelchat. “My father always taught me it doesn’t cost anything to be nice to people, so I try to be nice to everybody. Maybe that 'hello' from me or 'good morning' from me might be the only time they talk to anybody so I just try and be nice.'"

The mother of two was working a few weeks ago when Coventry resident Lisa Denton and her husband, Rolland, took a trip to the store.

Denton said a little more than a year ago, Rolland was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

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"You know, getting out of the house can sometimes be stressful," said Denton. "And a few weeks ago, it was a short shopping trip but stressful. He forgets where he is, or who he is sometimes."

While at checkout, Denton said her husband attempted to pay for their items.

“He tried three times, then he slammed it down and he’s like, 'Here you do it' and it was because he had the wrong card,'" said Denton.

Pelchat noticed a lot of necessities in the cart.

“They went to checkout and his card wouldn't work. I tried to help her fix the card to get it to work and she’s like, 'Can I just leave this stuff here?' and I said, 'Yeah, you can' but it looked like stuff she needed. Toilet paper, paper towels, whatever so I just felt like I should help her,'" Pelchat said.

That's when Pelchat reached into her own wallet to pay their bill.

“I didn’t want her to have to come back out with him because she had told me he had Alzheimer's and brought the wrong card, so I just paid for it. It was not a nice day, I'm sure she was dealing with a lot," said Pelchat.

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Denton and her husband felt the impact of Pelchat's kindness when they got home.

"I was so grateful that I wasn't going to have to go home and then come back out," said Denton. "And when I got home and I was thinking about it, and my husband started feeling better, he’s like, 'I can’t believe she did that for us' and we just both started tearing up and he said, 'You should try and find her."'

So, that's what she did.

She posted about the kind encounter on a local community Facebook page, hoping it would reach the woman who helped them out.

Then, she made several in-person efforts to find her.

“I was just so grateful. I came back three days in a row looking for her," said Denton. “Just to let her know how much I appreciated it, like, she saved me so much time and stress that day."

Eventually, Denton's efforts were successful.

“She found me in cosmetics and she’s like, 'I put a post' and she started going on. I was like, 'What?' I was amazed because I didn’t expect anything back," said Pelchat.

“We just hugged in cosmetics," added Denton.

Denton then paid her back.

“It wasn’t a matter of the money," said Denton. “I just want other people to know that there’s still good in the world. You know, there’s still good people out here. After I found her and paid for the order, I stopped at a gas station on the way home and paid for the people behind me just to keep paying it forward because that’s what it’s all about. I hope this inspires people to pay it forward."

Pelchat said this wasn't the first time she's helped a customer pay their bill.

“I just try to help people when I can, you know?" said Pelchat. “I felt like it was the right thing to do at that time. It wasn’t a lot of money and even if it was and I could afford it, I would’ve done it anyway because I just felt like she needed my help."

If you or anyone you know is in need of assistance, the Alzheimer's Association has a 24/7 helpline: 1-800-272-3900.