Woman Shares Sweet Story Of How She Befriended A Lonely 89-Year-Old

At 19 years old, Aoife Isabella Malone moved to a small town in Scotland. Here, she planned to study fashion. She no doubt hoped this move would be life-changing — but she never thought it would lead to a friendship quite like this one. While working at Ladbrokes, a popular spot in the UK to place bets on sports, Aoife met a man named Tommy.

This man visited Ladbrokes frequently, and it was clear to Aoife that he was lonely. His wife died the year before. Thanks to his frequent visits, the two of them got to talking. It only took a few days for Aoife to realize what a sweetheart her new elderly friend was, inspiring her to ask if she could join him for bingo night.

Understandably, Aoife’s friends were a bit concerned. The 19-year-old was planning to go out at night with a man she didn’t know well, after all. So, three of her friends joined them for bingo, and the night was amazing! From here, the two of them only grew closer, with Aoife visiting his home a few times a week.

It’s amazing how quickly these two became besties. Tommy would sometimes cook food for Aoife and she’d take him out to the shops. They also loved going to the movies, or to “the pictures,” as Tommy would call them. Aoife even got to include Tommy as a model in one of her college projects — and he killed it, as you can see below!

Teen Unexpectedly Makes an Elderly Friend, Changing Her Life Forever

Over the years, their friendship only grew deeper. Tommy helped teach Aoife to drive. She introduced Tommy to more of her friends. And when she moved to Edinburg, giving her quite a commute, Tommy would meet Aoife and her friends at the station to drive them to school.

“We’d take him out for dinner, watch the six nations at his house and even had a surprise birthday party for him one year,” Aoife shares .

The two of them stayed close even when Aoife moved to NYC for a job. She was there when the COVID pandemic started, but she still found ways to ensure her elderly friend didn’t get too lonely. This helped both Tommy and Aoife during this isolating time.

So much has changed since Tommy and Aoife first met — but their friendship continues to grow . In fact, they recently celebrated nine years of friendship.

Woman’s Friendship With Elderly Man Stays Strong After Nearly a Decade

Tommy is in a care home how, but at 98 years old, he’s as sharp as ever. Plus, they still visit one another every six weeks or so. Truly, their friendship is like one straight from “the pictures!”

“You probably gave him more years to his life, gave him something to look forward to and helped through loneliness, you’re an angel,” someone points out in the comments of Aoife’s post, with another adding , “This is the loveliest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. You are wonderful.”

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