The woman, Megan, posted the video in Reddit’s “Made Me Smile” forum on Monday, where it has since amassed nearly 60,000 upvotes and over 1,700 comments from tearful Redditors, many of whom said the post inspired them to spend more time with their families.
A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) revealed that one-third of people over the age of 45 “feel lonely” and that nearly one-fourth of adults over the age of 65 are considered to be “socially isolated.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) social isolation can lead to a variety of health problems among individuals aged 50 and older, including an increased risk of dementia, heart disease and depression, among other things.
The CDC encourages those experiencing to contact a doctor, who may be able to help connect them with community resources.
Megan’s grandfather, however, thought it would be best to reach out to his granddaughter.
“My 92-year-old grandpa called me crying the other day saying he feels lonely and texted me inviting me over for a sleepover,” read the video’s text overlay.
In the next frame, she shares a screenshot of the text, which read: “Hi Megan it’s grandpa. Would you like to come over and have a sleepover? I haven’t been feeling well and I miss you. We can order food and watch a mystery show. Love, grandpa.”
Megan accepted her grandfather’s invite and, at his request, agreed to bring cinnamon apple sauce, mashed potatoes and strawberry ice cream.
“You are my favorite granddaughter,” her grandfather said. In the text overlay, Megan explained to viewers that she is his only granddaughter.
About halfway through the clip, Megan arrives at her grandfather’s house. Once inside, the two do as promised — they watch his “favorite black and white murder mystery show” and enjoy their food. At the end of the night, her grandfather gets Megan all set up for bed.
“He made sure I had water for bed and showed me that he made my bed how he used to make it when I was little with my favorite doll of my grandma’s (rest in peace),” read the text overlay as she walked with her grandfather into the guest room.
“Staying her brings back so many good memories from my childhood,” the text overlay continued. “I love my grandpa so much.”
Commenters were touched by the video and claimed it inspired them to visit their loved ones.
“This is so sweet I’m in tears,” wrote u/nudebather77.
“I’m… I’m gonna go visit my mom with my boys next weekend because of this video. I need to stop making excuses and visit her more. She’s never said no to us coming over, I just don’t do it enough,” said u/mysteriousblue87.
“Yeah. I just got the worst feeling I need to go visit my dad before it’s too late. I’m going to take KFC mashed potatoes and lemon ice cream with me,” added u/MentalWoodpecker6640.
Redditor u/Wishmastering commented: “This is so beautiful and wholesome, and by doing this…you have inspired many of us to be more aware [of] our loved ones that may be growing older…Thanks for sharing.”
Newsweek has reached out to Megan for comment.
In related news, a woman went viral earlier this month after sharing a video of the sweet moment she said goodbye to her grandparents, who she hadn’t seen in two years. Similarly, a woman went viral in March for posting her surprise reunion with her grandparents, who she also hadn’t seen in two years.
And last summer, actor Zac Efron shared a hilarious video that shows him “busting” his grandfather out of a nursing home.