Whether it’s our favorite dress or a family heirloom passed down the generations, we all own things that we love more than their worth. They help us cherish the memories they hold when we need them most. They are truly priceless.
But while there are a lot of interesting stories such as the one above, what Kevin Duke recently experienced after purchasing a used car is not like any other. Because he was so moved and heartbroken by what happened, he decided to share it with others by posting about it on Facebook. Kevin first writes that he had been planning to get his daughter Jada a car for her 16th birthday.
After he found and bought this used car, Kevin decided to go drive it around, just to make sure that the vehicle was safe and sound.
That’s when he this envelope was hidden in the glove box. It said, “New Car Owner Important Info Inside.”
Curious, he opened it and found a handwritten letter inside.
When he read it, he was completely at loss for words.
Here’s the letter –
“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 mum. She passed away Feb 25, 2020, in a house fire along with my 6-year-old daughter and my aunt. The last time my mum drove this car was the day she left us. She and my daughter went out shopping and got their haircut.”
“This car holds a lot of special memories for me.
My home and everything in it is gone, this car is all that I had left to touch. There was a mix-up with paperwork and that caused the car to not be paid off by the insurance. It’s very upsetting that I have lost my family, my home and now I’m losing this last link I have with my mum and child through no fault of my own.
“I’m not mad at you. I hope this car is the best car you’ve ever owned. I hope it runs for 100 more years. I hope the back seat is filled with kids and toys and random things. My family filled this car with lots of love and other sticky things.”
“We took road trips, blared the 80s and country music and rolled the windows down. I’ve changed more diapers in the back seat than I can count. There’s probably a sucker stick or a crayon hidden somewhere that belonged to my baby. Maybe an entire chicken nugget. Ha!”
“Love, joy, and adventure were had in this car. So now that it’s yours, please remember it isn’t just a car. It’s a memory.
This car, with all its quirks, is the last piece of my family. Be nice to it. Play it a country song, ‘Big Green Tractor’ was my daughter’s favorite sound ever or some Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Freebird’. That song meant so much that I played it at their funerals.
“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 adventure you take in this car.”
“Be blessed, be happy, live and love as we did. I wish you, and Sylvia, all the best!”
And when the post about this letter and the story behind Sylvia went viral online, the original owner actually came forward. Her name is Sabrina Archey and she commented on the post, saying that she really is happy and grateful that Kevin decided to post her letter online.
And to help Sabrina buy her mom’s car back, a crowdfunding page has opened up.
UPDATE:
Thanks to the kind people of the internet, Sabrina was finally able to reunite with the car Sylvia.
It meant to much to Sabrina that not only was she reunited with her family, but she can now also honor them. In an update posted on May 9th, 2021 Sabrina explained her plan to honor her mother and her son who had died. Sabrina’s Mother had planned to go to Virginia Beach and her son planned to go to New York City, to help someone in need.
Now Sabrina is on a quest to make sure that these dreams come true through Sylvia.
Jada and Kevin haven’t been forgotten about either, as they were able to find another car identical to Sylvia. Sabrina calls it “Sylvia 2” because it’s so similar!
On April 26th, 2021 TLC even featured Sabrina, Kevin, Jada, and Sylvia in a show called “This is Life Live,” inspired by their incredible story. Their incredible story lives on and Sabrina’s mother and son will never be forgotten.
