Samuel Weidenhofer, the content creator behind the record-breaking campaign to help an 88-year-old U.S. Army veteran retire, is an unlikely messenger.
Born in Adelaide, Australia, Weidenhofer was diagnosed at a young age with verbal dyspraxia (also known as childhood apraxia of speech), a motor speech disability where the brain has trouble coordinating the movements of the tongue, mouth, and jaw to form words.
“I got sent to a special kindergarten, I did eight years of therapy, my parents never thought I’d be able to communicate properly,” he told CBN News. “So to see that a voice can make such a difference in the world — a voice that I didn’t even know I would be able to communicate properly [with] — spreads a lot of awareness out there for people with hidden disabilities.”
And he certainly has made a difference.
Earlier this week, Weidenhofer posted a video of a seemingly impromptu conversation he had with Ed Bambas, an octogenarian who initially retired in 1999, but is still working a full-time job at a grocery store in Detroit after losing his pension, health insurance, and home when General Motors went bankrupt. His wife, who was ill when he lost his pension and healthcare, passed away seven years ago.
In just a number of days, the GoFundMe set up by Weidenhofer has raised $1.78 million for Bambas.
While this is certainly his most viral effort, Weidenhofer has been creating content for years. His passion for spreading kindness and positivity, though, began when he was just 10 years old, after facing a tragedy he said “broke me as a person.”
“My mom was in the shower and I saw a phone call coming from my uncle and I picked the phone call up,” he said. “It was my uncle screaming and crying and bursting into absolute tears.”
Weidenhofer’s uncle told his then-10-year-old nephew his “auntie” had committed suicide.
“I’ve never heard pain in someone’s voice like that ever again,” recalled Weidenhofer. “And it just hurt me so much and that’s why I do [this] in honor of her. … I believe, if you see a video, you can save someone’s life. And I believe, because of her, so many lives have been saved.”
It was through his aunt’s life, Weidenhofer said, he found his “purpose on this world.”
The 22-year-old social media influencer noted even his latest content — his encounter with Bambas — is making a positive impact on more than just the veteran’s life. Weidenhofer said he heard from a woman who was suicidal but came across his conversation with Bambas “and decided to keep going.”
“I receive messages like that every single day,” he said. “This truly saves lives. To me, that’s the No. 1 thing, right? You can raise people money, you can make a huge change in their lives, but the simple things, like a message saying, ‘You’ve helped save my life,’ … speaks volumes.”
As for his encounter with Bambas, Weidenhofer said their meeting was divinely inspired.
The content creator explained someone commented on one of his posts, telling him about an elderly man who works at a Meijer supermarket in Brighton, a suburb outside of Detroit. The commenter knew nothing about Bambas other than to say he is a kind man seemingly going through a difficult time.
“I honestly didn’t have much backstory on Ed,” Weindehofer said. “To see what has come out of it and to have him share his story and how authentically it came across, because it was at complete random, out of the blue, and now it’s inspired millions. It’s unbelievable to see the support that’s come through.”
You can watch our full conversation with Weidenhofer in the video above.
