Ed Bambas, an 88-year-old Army veteran working full-time at the Meijer in Brighton was approached by influencer Samuel Weidenhofer to create a life-changing moment. Weidenhofer started a GoFundMe page to gain support for Bambas to retire — and the fund has crossed the $1 million mark today.
Bambas works full-time at Meijer, eight-hour shifts five days a week. After he retired from General Motors in 1999, Bambas said he lost his pension when the company went bankrupt in 2009.
When Bambas lost his pension, he said his wife was sick and that he lost his health care coverage. They sold their house and property to get through the expenses, and his wife passed away seven years ago.
Weidenhofer has 1.8 million followers on Facebook and 6.7 million followers on TikTok, where his video about Bambas has gone viral. The video has over 8 million views across multiple social media platforms.
Weidenhofer started a GoFundMe to support Bambas’ living expenses, medical care and any other expenses to let him enjoy life.
“I’m opening a fundraiser to help Ed live the life he deserves 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 on the GoFundMe page.
Weidenhofer’s platform revolves around traveling the world and supporting families in need. He posted about coming to Michigan in September, looking to connect to someone who has overcome something unimaginable, a family in need of support or a local hero.
Bambas’ son has been in contact with the influencer, and Weidenhofer is working on setting up a secure bank account for the money collected. Weidenhofer will be surprising Bambas within the next couple of days with the GoFundMe page and post a follow-up video to his social media pages.
