An elderly army veteran can now look forward to retirement after a heartwarming online campaign raised over $1 million for him.
The internet has rallied behind Ed Bambas, an 88-year-old army veteran who faced financial difficulties after losing his pension in 2012 when the company he worked for went bankrupt.
During this challenging time, Ed’s wife, who passed away seven years ago, became ill. To cover her medical expenses, Ed had to sell their home. Additionally, he lost his health insurance along with his pension.
Since his wife’s passing, Ed has been back at work, taking on eight-hour shifts, five days a week, in a supermarket located 45 miles west of Detroit to manage his living expenses.
Ed’s story reached influencer Samuel Weidenhofer through a nomination, who is known for spreading positivity online. Samuel traveled from Australia to Michigan, teaming up with local influencer Mike McKinstry to find Ed.
They located Ed and recorded a touching encounter at the store where he works. During this meeting, Ed explained his situation and why he continued to work at his age.
In an immediate gesture of kindness, Samuel gave Ed a $400 cash tip and launched a GoFundMe campaign online, encouraging donations to help Ed retire.
Remarkably, $1.5 million has been raised in mere days for the veteran. The generosity included a $10,000 contribution from one person.
Ed spoke to WXYZ about his unexpected viral attention.
“It came out of the clear blue — I really truly mean that,” he commented on the attention he’s received.
At 88, Ed doesn’t use TikTok or similar platforms. “I’ve never been on those programs (TikTok and Instagram),” he explained. “I don’t own one of those fancy cellphones. In fact, I still have a flip phone just to talk to people.”
Ed became emotional discussing his late wife.
He shared with the WXYZ reporter: “I try to go to the gravesite every day. It helps me get through my day.”
Samuel also shared his motivations for helping Ed and commented on the impressive support generated.
“I just wanted to give him a chance to retire, you know? At least have some comfort,” Samuel expressed.
“At first, I thought maybe there would be a little bit of support, but to see how much? It’s record-breaking.”