When a grandma received a box from her granddaughter on her birthday, she was utterly oblivious to what was inside. Upon opening the package, she took out a pink teddy bear, and when she pressed its hand, she heard a familiar voice and couldn’t control her emotions.
For her beloved grandma’s 85th birthday, Billie wanted to do something special. She had been caring for her grandmother, Winifred, and had seen her suffer insurmountable grief following the unexpected death of her daughter, Barbara, in 2021.
Barbara was admitted to a hospital after complaining of stomach ache and was diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Sadly, she passed away only 13 weeks later, and her untimely demise left Winifred forever crippled and reeling from the irreparable loss and soul-crushing agony.
Choosing a Special Gift to Comfort Granny
Billie had seen her beloved granny struggle with the trauma of losing her dear daughter and wanted nothing more than to take her pain away. So when Winifred’s birthday came around in 2022, the thoughtful granddaughter decided to choose a special gift that would mean the world to her grandma.
Like Billie’s sweet gesture for Winifred, a loving aunt surprised her beloved nieces with a heartwarming surprise on Christmas Day in 2016.
Gifting “Barbara Bear” to Dear Grandma
After much contemplation, Billie recalled that many relatives had recorded voice notes during the global pandemic to greet Winifred on her birthday. She searched for Barbara’s heartwarming greeting, which she then took to Build-A-Bear.
Using Barbara’s audio message, Billie was able to have a memorial teddy bear made solely for Winifred. And finally, on November 9, 2022, she presented the stuffed toy, hidden inside a box, to her grandma, who had no idea what was happening.
Billie told her grandmother to open the box, and to her astonishment, out came a pink bear. Then she took out a certificate and handed it to Winifred, according to which the teddy’s name was Barbara. The grandmother was still blissfully unaware of what everything was leading up to until Billie told her to press the bear’s hand.
The Grandma’s Priceless Reaction after Hearing Her Daughter’s Voice
@happilyofficialAfter her daughter passed away, this family knew the perfect gift to surprise her with on her 85th birthday so she could feel her presence 😭❤️
When Winifred pressed the button, she heard a voice from the bear that said, “Hiya, mom. I just want to wish you a Happy Birthday for tomorrow. Love you lots.” It took the older lady a few moments to connect the dots and realize that the voice belonged to none other than her late daughter.
With tears streaming down her face and her emotions all over the place, Winifred uttered, “Barbara, I wish you were here today.” Now, whenever she would hug the bear and press its hand, she would feel her beloved Barbara’s presence.
Netizens React
Winifred’s tear-jerking reaction was recorded by Billie and shared on various social media platforms. Many netizens left supportive comments for the grandma and appreciated her granddaughter’s lovely gesture. Here are a few messages worth mentioning:
A Thoughtful Aunt’s Surprise for Her Nieces
Like Billie’s sweet gesture for Winifred, a loving aunt gave her beloved nieces a heartwarming surprise on Christmas Day in 2016. Sisters Mariana and Sarahy were reduced to tears when they opened their gift boxes and found two teddy bears with special voice messages from their late granddad.
The siblings lost their grandpa when he suffered a stroke in 2015, leaving his loved ones in pieces. His untimely death brought immense grief, and the holiday season was extremely difficult for his family.
The girls missed their affectionate grandfather and wanted to hug and hold him again, so when they held the stuffed animals and heard their grandpa’s voice telling their favorite inside jokes, they surrendered to their emotions and cried a river while holding the bears.
Their precious reactions were captured by one of their other sisters and gained traction online:
While Mariana and Sarahy’s reactions were profoundly moving, another youngster went through the same emotional rollercoaster when he received an unexpected gift. In 2020, Jessica Turpin gave her son, Ryan, a teddy bear and showed him his birth certificate, which said his name was Bubba Lou.
Moreover, Bubba Lou’s birthday was on May 2—the same day Ryan lost his grandpa to COVID-19. The young boy, battling leukemia, missed his granddad with all his heart and soul and wished to hug him one last time.
The Boy’s Tearful Message
When he finally understood that the bear was named after his late grandpa, Ryan couldn’t fight back his tears. Even more remarkable was that Jessica took old voice messages from Ryan’s grandpa, mashed them, and had them placed inside the adorable bear.
As soon as the young boy heard his beloved Bubba Lou’s voice, he completely lost it. Hugging the teddy, he uttered, “Thank you, grandpa. I miss you, grandpa. I’m always thinking about you, and I cry because I really miss you. I love you, grandpa. I never stopped loving you. I never stopped….”
The Mother’s Heartbreaking Reaction
In another related story, a mother from China Lake, Los Angeles, received a stuffed animal from her daughter, not knowing that it would soon echo her late son’s voice. She lost her son, Sean Tanner, in October 2018 and had difficulty coming to terms with his loss.
Sean was a police officer, and his mom had been incredibly proud of him. When Christmas rolled in, her daughter, Brittany Garcia, surprised her mom with a Build-A-Bear stuffed teddy dressed as a cop. And when the grieving mom pressed its hand, she couldn’t believe her ears.
Her Late Son’s Voice
“This is Officer Tanner. I’m out here about to get no sleep for the first time. I’m feeling good,” said the voice emanating from the bear. Having no control over her emotions, the mother broke down while holding the bear close to her heart.
Our hearts go out to all the people grieving the loss of their beloveds, and we hope their grief becomes integrated over time. What are your thoughts on these heart-touching stories? Would you ever give such a gift to your dear ones to offer them some closure?