Ed Bambas is 88 years old and still works full-time, five days a week, eight hours a day. Without his job at the supermarket checkout, his pension wouldn’t be enough since his wife passed away from cancer about ten years ago. But now, the American from the state of Michigan is allowed to retire.
An unexpected windfall came from Australian influencer Sam Weidenhofer. A viewer had brought Bambas’s difficult situation to his attention. Weidenhofer, who has 7.8 million followers on the platform TikTok, launched a fundraiser for the 88-year-old veteran. “He shows up every day with quiet dignity, strength, and endurance,” the campaign states.
Every dollar collected is intended to benefit the senior so he can repay his debts - amounting to around $225,000, according to a video on the influencer’s channel. With this money, Bambas purchased medication for his late wife. “I’m opening this donation fund so Ed can finally live the life he deserves and find relief and comfort,” writes Weidenhofer.
88-year-old accepts $1.7 million check in tears
Weidenhofer visited the 88-year-old Bambas at his workplace at the supermarket chain "Meijer" and surprised him with a check for 1.7 million dollars. More than 15,000 people had contributed to the campaign. Bambas, visibly emotional as he accepted the check, now plans to visit his brother, something that had been financially impossible until now, according to the video. He also mentioned that he might take up golfing. "I can’t put into words how grateful I am to all these people," Bambas said through tears.
@itssozer Ed is 88. A Veteran. A man who kept working because of $225K+ in debt he didn’t want to leave to his family. ❤️ And today… we handed him a check for $1.77 million. He cried. We cried. And his life is forever changed. 🥹❤️ Thank you to everyone who made this miracle possible. This is so much bigger than Ed, it’s proof that humanity is still beautiful… #love #kind #veteran ♬ original sound - Samuel Weidenhofer