Heartbroken daughter kept sending messages to her late dad's old number — and then, she got a reply

Losing a loved one is always hard, and people find various ways to cope with their grief, like sending messages or leaving voicemails to their old phone numbers. But what if someone replied? That's what happened to Nilufar "Nelly" Nizam, known as @nellyscous on TikTok, when she messaged her late dad's old number and got an unexpected response. She shared her story and screenshots of the exchange in a TikTok video.

People miss their loved ones who have passed away. Also, to cherish their memories or simply remember them, people do many things to deal with grief, such as messaging or leaving a voicemail to their number. But what if one received a response from that number? In a similar scenario, a woman messaged her dad's old phone number and was shocked to receive a response. Nilufar "Nelly" Nizam–who goes by @nellyscous on TikTok–shared her experience and screenshots of her messages in a video. 

The heartbreaking message she sent read, "Hi Dad, it's been 5 months since you're gone. I miss you so much. I wish you were here next to me. The pain of losing you has been the hardest thing I ever went through. I love you so much. I'm so upset that you are no longer there. But I will always keep our memories alive. I can't fathom the thought of you not ever being with me anymore. But I will always love and miss you, Dad." This message was sent on May 29, 2023. She received a response that read, "Oh my! I'm so sorry."

Nizam replied to the message apologizing, "I'm sorry. This message just got delivered. I guess they gave his number away." The other person also confirmed that's what had happened. They wrote, "I had just recently gotten this phone number." She concluded the conversation by saying, "Sorry to disturb you. I used to always text my dad to his number." She captioned the post, "I can't even text him anymore, even that's away from me." 

People shared what they have been doing to continue messaging their loved ones who died. @yessidee commented, "My dad passed away two years ago and my mom is still paying for his line and carries his cell phone." @mand_va could understand what Nizam was going through and wrote, "The first time it popped up that Dad joined Snapchat, my heart broke. It's a part of grief that nobody talks about." @slayboothlv shared an idea, "Message his Facebook. It'll forever be his. I do it all the time to my late papa. It sucks when you forget you can't call them."

@kandyyaviilaa expressed, "Probably the worst feeling ever, especially when you see their name pop up, thinking you woke up from that terrible nightmare just to realize that they really are gone." In an interview with PEOPLE, Nizam shared her dad passed away on January 17, 2023, which changed her life. She said that growing up, her relationship with her dad was great and he was always "so loving, caring, and intelligent." "He taught me many great things in life and has given me advice that helped me better my future. He was a man who knew a person from the first interaction, so I always trusted his judgment," she said. 

After her parents split, despite having resentment towards her father, Nizam said she was always there for him whenever he needed her. Also, she spoke about in 2022, when she was going through a heartbreak, her dad was there with her through it all. She then talked about how her dad's death hit her. Nizam said, "I struggled a lot after losing him in January because, at that point, I lost two people within a very short period. His advice, his laughter, and his warm hugs were helping me recover from my past relationship. But when he passed away within two months of me ending my relationship, I became lost again." 

A month after he died, Nizam found solace in messaging her dad like she always did. "I always updated him with the things I and my brother were doing. Always texted him my emotions and what I was going through, hoping maybe his spirit could be there." But one day after sending the message, the message turned blue, which usually would be green. She said, "For a second, I felt that perhaps he was alive and read my message. But I was wrong. A stranger answered me and notified me that she had a new number. After some of her words, I knew I wasn't able to text that number on iMessage anymore." However, she has found a new way to talk to him and starts messaging him on Telegram. "Texting him always brought me comfort," she expressed.

You can follow Nilufar "Nelly" Nizam (@nellyscous) on TikTok for lifestyle content.

This article originally appeared 4 months ago.