Noureen couldn't have the party she had been planning but police made it special anyway. Photo / Facebook
Noureen Farag did not have the eighth birthday party she was hoping she could have, surrounded by her friends.
Instead, the now 8-year-old Auckland girl spent her birthday in her bubble with her parents.
The Farag family reached out to police to try to make Noureen's day a little bit extra special.
The family contacted police to ask if a friend of Noureen's who lives nearby could sing her happy birthday from a distance.
READ MORE:
Covid 19 coronavirus: Tales from the frontline - new cop shares first week on pandemic patrol
Covid 19 coronavirus: New recruit ready for duty in new world of lockdown policing
Constable Halim Hassouna, who, like the family, also hails from Egypt, heard the story and decided to take things one step further, by showing up on the day and surprising Noureen with balloons and a police dog toy.
It is Hassouna's first week as a police officer - he graduated from Police College at the end of March.
Keeping a safe distance, Constable Hassouna even sang her happy birthday in Arabic.
The video of the surprise was posted by police on Facebook and had more than 31,000 views in just six hours, with people applauding the warm gesture.
"Well done to this officer. On his day off he made a little girl's day very special," one person commented.
"This made me cry, what a beautiful man," another person said.
Noureen has named her police dog teddy "Lilly" and will no doubt have had a birthday to remember.
"I think we made her day," Constable Hassouna says in the video.
• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website
The colourful creation, made of fabric, was found sitting outside the museum’s entrance.