Man shocks ex-girlfriend by secretly paying off her entire mortgage for being a great Mom

Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 2, 2022. It has since been updated.

Breakups are never easy, especially when you share a child. When Shaun Nyland and Cat split after 7 years together, they agreed it was for the best and are still good friends. For Cat's 31st birthday, Shaun Nyland paid off her mortgage to thank her for being a great mother to their 3-year-old, Leo, and the story's winning hearts on the internet. Shaun posted a video on TikTok, showing him capturing Cat's reaction as he surprised her. They had gone their ways in April 2022, reported The Sun. "I had to make sure that she and Leo were secure I'm so glad I was fortunate enough to do this," he said. Shaun's video was watched by more than 6.8 million people on the platform. 

In the video, Shaun can be heard saying, "It's your birthday today, I want you to have the best birthday ever. And look, I know we're not together anymore, and I've been so proud of you, you're the best mum ever, so I did something. I rang up the bank, I paid off the entire mortgage. This house now belongs to you." Cat is slightly confused and asks if he's winding her up, cause that's too big of a gesture. Surely it can't be true, she reasons. Shaun reassures her that he's paid off her loan. "I promise you, this house belongs to you. I rang the bank, paid it off, you own this house." Cat was stunned and got emotional and posted her own video, describing it as the "best present ever." She posted a video writing, "Yesterday was my 31st birthday and I had the surprise of my life. My ex paid off my entire mortgage."

Many praised Shaun for what he did, with one person adding, "that's how you co-parent." Some questioned why did such a huge thing for Cat when they were not together. He posted a follow-up video explaining his actions. He reasoned that he was not just looking out for her, but also for their kid. "At the end of the day, my ex-girlfriend gave me the best gift any man could ask for by bringing Leo into this world and I know it was tough for Cat to try and live the same lifestyle we lived but by herself," he said. "Honestly guys, I'm still shaking right now. I'm just so grateful that I've been fortunate enough to be able to do this, not just for Cat, but also for my baby so that he's got a roof over his head for the rest of his life guaranteed, and I just think if you can do that then why wouldn't you. It was a no-brainer for me."

One person wrote, "Now that is a true gent respecting your baby mother and keeping a roof over your baby's head. Take my hat off to you mate, proper dad." When asked what happened between them, Shaun said they had been together for seven years and tried fixing things but after it didn't improve, they decided to draw curtains on their relationship. It was hard to accept, said Shaun. He said he worked on himself, both physically and mentally, so "I could be the best I could be for my boy." 

You can follow Shaun Nyland (@shaun.nyland) on TikTok for more lifestyle and family content.