Woman discovers ex-husband's girlfriend made her kid's birthday special in their absence

For parents, their children's well-being is everything, making this story of resilience and unexpected kindness especially moving. A mother, known as u/BowlerInner626, shared an emotional account online about a heartbreaking year for her family. It began when her oldest son suffered a traumatic accident that left him hospitalized for weeks. During his time in a coma, the family’s world turned upside down.

In her post titled "Emotional after finding out what my ex-husband's girlfriend did for our son," the mother recounted how the stress and fear for her eldest child’s life consumed them. Tragically, their younger son's birthday passed unnoticed. She admitted, “I feel like cr*p for it, but I completely forgot. I was so terrified that my older son would die that I couldn't think of much else.” She explained how she and her ex-husband spent nearly every waking moment at the hospital, unintentionally neglecting their youngest son during this harrowing time.

What happened next, however, revealed a surprising and heartwarming twist that has captured hearts across the internet.

During this time, the youngest son was staying with his aunt, the ex-husband's sister. The day after his birthday, he visited the hospital and hugged his parents, thanking them for doing something special for him despite the tough times. Confused, the parents assumed the ex-husband's sister had done something nice for him. However, the mother soon discovered the real story.

It turned out it wasn't the ex-husband's sister but his girlfriend. The mother shared, "She baked a really cool cake for him, bought him a new gaming chair and headset that he wanted, and gave them to him on his birthday, saying they were from me and my ex." The girlfriend also wrote a card from the parent's perspective, signing it, "Never forget how much we love you-mum and dad." When the mother asked her ex-husband if he had orchestrated this, he said he was just as surprised.

The girlfriend didn't even mention it to him. This heartwarming reality made the mother cry. She said just how incredibly sweet it was of the girlfriend to do this for her son, especially at a time when the former felt like she'd let down her youngest son. They applauded the girlfriend's kindness and said, "And the fact that she gave my ex and my credit for her work when she doesn't even know me and wasn't asked to do it makes me emotional. She has such a kind heart."

u/CautiousDeparture92 said, "And this is true stepmom behavior, propping up all the relationships around the kids with love - the more the merrier!" u/ryry_ny, shared a heartfelt story and said, "A girl I once coached had a dad and a stepdad. Her mom (who was a loving mother) worked weekends and could rarely make her games. Both dad and stepdad attended every practice and game and sat together, both yelling 'That’s my kid!' and 'Come on up!' and all the standard parent stuff. Most people thought they were a couple and she was their daughter together. They would explain if you asked but otherwise didn’t really make a big deal of it. They were such a great example." This story beautifully illustrates the boundless love children deserve from the adults in their lives.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on November 23, 2023. It has since been updated.

This article originally appeared on 11.24.23.