(WJW) – An Army veteran who fell on hard times is set to receive a generous donation after his story went viral on social media.
Online influencer Samuel Weidenhofer recently shared a video of Ed Bambas, 88, who was working at a grocery store in the suburbs of Detroit. The two got to talking, and Bambas revealed that he still needs to work a full-time job. Bambas, who retired from General Motors in 1999, said he lost his pension when the company went bankrupt in 2012.
Bambas’ wife also died seven years ago following an illness, he revealed.
“The thing that hurt me the most was my wife was really sick, and when they took the pension, they also took the healthcare coverage, and all but $10,000 of my life insurance coverage,” Bambas told Weidenhofer, tearing up.
Bambas explained that he sold his home and his property to cover their expenses, and somehow “made it through.”
“Since then, I’ve been trying to reestablish myself,” Bambas said.
“I want to live the life I was hoping for,” Bambas added, when asked about his greatest dream.
Weidenhofer surprised Bambas with $400 in cash at the store. But the influencer told Bambas he also wanted to share his story with his followers (Weidenhofer has nearly 10 million total on Instagram and TikTok) to help him retire.
“Thank you,” he said.
Since then, an online fundraiser set up by Weidenhofer has raised more than $1.5 million for Bambas to “finally give him some relief, comfort and the peace of mind that comes from knowing he can enjoy his later years without constant struggle,” Weidenhofer wrote.
In an update he posted Tuesday, Weidenhofer said Bambas was completely unaware of the fundraiser. But he promised another update “soon” concerning the surprise.
“Now, thanks to the generosity of this unbelievable community, Ed can finally stop worrying about survival,” Weidenhofer wrote in a separate post. “He can live the life he always dreamed of, and do so with the peace and comfort he’s earned after years of struggle.”