Dad Finds Note In Glove Compartment Of Used Car He Bought For Daughter

Apr 09, 2020 by apost team

There are some things all parents go through over the years as their kids reach milestones in life. One of those important moments is a kid's first car. Most parents will fret about their kid's driving, the safety of the car model and the expense of buying one in the first place.

In Kentucky three years ago, Kevin Duke bought a used car for his 16-year-old daughter and naturally went to test it first. A note he found in the glove compartment surprised him, though. It turned out the car had been cherished by the previous owner and only sold after three deaths in their close family and complications forced them to sell it.

Kevin bought the car a few weeks before his daughter's birthday. He intended to spend the extra time on testing the car thouroughly, inspect it and make sure it was really safe for his daughter. So he took it on test drives and of course searched it carefully for anything left behind by the former owner. His search also included the glove compartment, where he found a small envelope after he lifted a small rubber mat placed inside it.

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In his facebook post, Kevin explained how the moment happened:

"I bought my daughter,Jada, a used car a couple weeks ago. Since she doesn't turn 16 until March, I'm driving it to see if there are any kinks to work out before I give it to her. Well, yesterday I'm in it tinkering around and I open this storage compartment on top of the dash (which I've opened a half dozen times already). This time I notice a rubber mat in the bottom of it and for whatever reason, I pull it out. To my surprise, I find this envelope with this letter inside. I won't lie, I shed a few tears."

He also shared a photo of the letter he found inside the envelope, as what was written in there touched him deeply. The previous owner of the car had left a very special message for the new one:

“To the person that gets this car, I just wanted to let you know what a special vehicle you’ve bought. This car belonged to my mom. She passed away Feb. 25, 2015 in a house fire along with my 6 year old daughter and my aunt. The last time my mom drove this car was the day she left us."

The letter went on to explain that the previous owner hadn't wanted to sell the car, but was forced to do so after a paperwork mix-up following the deaths. The car was the last link to those three beloved persons for the previous owner, so they wished the new owner would treat the car well. 

The letter went on to talk about the good times the previous owner had with the car, their daughter, mother and aunt. It was a touching letter, written from the heart. Small dents and blemishes and the stories behind them were explained. The letter went on:

"You’re riding with angels. My angels. Talk to them if you like, I’m sure they’d like to see and hear about any new adventures you take in this car. By the way, her name is Sylvia. The very first day mom got this car, we all rode around and Dr. Hook’s Sylvia’s Mother came on the radio, the name kind of just stuck when my daughter said that’s what we should name the car. So please don’t change her name."

The letter concluded with a special plea:

“If you ever want to sell Sylvia, please try to find me. I just paid for 3 funerals, I can’t afford to buy it right now, but hopefully I’ll be in a better financial situation if you decide later that she’s just not right for you anymore. Be blessed, be happy, live and love like we did. I wish you and Sylvia the best!”

All this happened in 2017. After Kevin posted on Facebook about the letter and the car he bought, thousands of people shared the post via social media. One of those people who heard about it was Tammi from Kansas. The story moved her so much that she decided to do something about it. She contacted Kevin and asked whether he would consider selling the car back to its rightful owner. At the same time, she started a fundraiser for the money and with the help of This Is Life LIVE hunted down the previous owner: a woman named Sabrina, living in Greenup, Kentucky.

In the end, Sabrina was reunited with Sylvia, the car that her family had had so many adventures in.

Were you touched by this story? Have you ever lost someone and kept a cherished memento that reminds you of this person? Tell us what you think and pass this uplifting story on to your friends!