OAP buys young mum’s four-month-old girl a Christmas present in Asda – because he doesn’t have anyone else to buy for after his wife died
Do you know the old man? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368
A YOUNG mum choked back tears after an elderly stranger gave her daughter a Christmas present – because he didn't have anyone else to buy a gift for.
The lonely pensioner approached single mum Abigail Crewe, 23, in Asda and insisted on buying four-month-old Georgia a Minnie Mouse teddy.
She said the man told her he had lost his wife 18 months ago and he picked Minnie Mouse because that was her favourite character.
Almost 200,000 people have liked Abigail's Facebook post since she shared details of the amazing random act of Christmas kindness on Monday.
And it helped her to track down the kind stranger so she could thank him properly.
Dental nurse Abigail, from Bradford, West Yorks, said: "I popped into Asda with my sister Jemma and as we were walking up the Christmas aisle an elderly man was cooing over my daughter because she's only four months old.
";We were just making polite conversation and he was asking how old she was.
"Then he walked away up the aisle but by the time we reached him again, he had his hand out with some money.
"He said 'let me buy her something for Christmas' but I said 'no don't be daft, it's fine'.
"He started to say that he lost his wife 18 months ago, that he doesn't have any children of his own and he'd really like to buy something for someone.
"He picked the Minnie Mouse and said how much his wife loved Minnie Mouse – he even had a Minnie Mouse badge on his hat.
"He was just a really genuine lovely man. So we let him buy a Minnie mouse for her.
"This man made my day and it will be a Christmas story I will tell to my little girl every year when she asks what Christmas is all about. What an amazing man.
"We're on our own and for a stranger to do something so nice for her first Christmas is really special.
"I was trying to hold back tears more than anything, I was just shocked because you hear about these things but you don't think they'll actually happen."
RELATED STORIES
Afterwards Abigail managed to track the man down thanks to her social media post and decided to hand deliver him a thank you letter.
She said the pensioner was in his garden when she arrived at his house and was overwhelmed by the online attention his kind gesture had generated.
Abigail said: "I wrote him a letter just to thank him and let him know that everyone on Facebook has said lovely things about him.
"I put my address in there to keep in touch – you can never be too old or too young to make new friends.
"I showed him the Facebook post and he couldn't believe it and then his neighbour came out and said 'I told you that you were famous' but he just laughed it off.
"He showed me some pictures of his wife and I gave him my letter and said 'any time you need a friend just call me'.
"We gave each other a cuddle and then I left.
"I think it's a lovely story to tell Georgia, especially with it being her first Christmas."
Thousands of comments on Abigail's Facebook post included people saying the kindly man looks like Santa or the shovel-wielding neighbour from Home Alone.
Valerie Simmons said: "What a lovely man. You forget sometimes there are really nice people about."
Lisa Sharpe said: "Aww this is adorable, I hope someone has him over for Christmas, no one should be alone."
Sharon Sansom said: "What a wonderful gift you gave this gentleman. Accepting his offer has probably made his year."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368