Single Dad Of 3 Facing First Christmas After Kids' Mum Died Gets Help From Strangers: "Overwhelmed"

• At only 33 years old, Donald Wilson found himself with the burden of raising his three children all alone after the death of their mom
• Wilson and Lakenya Wilbourn shared three children until her untimely death of a stroke at age 39 in August 2023
• The four were facing a bleak Christmas Day until TikTokers stepped in to help them by raising funds, buying them toys and giving them words of encouragement

Donald Wilson, a 33-year-old from Detroit in the USA, and his children thought they would have a bleak Christmas Day without their mum, but strangers stepped in to help them.

Wilburne dies of stroke

In the last three months, the last thing that Wilson had time to think about was Christmas Day as he lost his ex-girlfriend in August 2023, and he had to step up to take care of his three children: Donald Jr., 5, Poetry, 4 and Honesty, 1.

Lakenya Wilbourn, 39, died of a stroke, and although they were no longer together, the two had an amicable co-parenting relationship.

“It was more day-to-day survival. I didn’t have any money; I went to emergency food pantries... it was a lot," Wilson told People.

Wilson, who lost his own father when he was just three and was raised by a single mum with an addiction problem, had worked his way up to become a prep cook.

McConnell starts fundraising on TikTok

After successfully leaving a troubled youth behind, Wilson wanted to make a good life for his kids and other older children from a previous relationship. However, after Wilburn's death, he said he felt defeated and was losing faith.

After Wilbourn's death, he had to take time off from work to sort his affairs and to deal with his grief; they relied on the short-term disability cheques.

TikTokers help the Wilsons

Colin McConnell, a 48-year-old TikTok producer, knew Wilson was struggling after the latter poured his heart out to him one day. He decided to appeal to his TikTok followers, and within a short time, there was a global outpouring of gifts, including toys, clothes, food, gift cards, and cash.

“This is something that happens in a movie, not in real life,” said the father of six.

“I’ve never felt so overwhelmed with joy. I never really felt joy, and if this is what it feels like, I want everybody to experience it,” Wilson said. I guarantee you, you are going to feel it in your body and your body language. And you are going to want to give it back to others," he added.

The Wilsons were really touched by the fact that people cared for them, and some also sent him words of encouragement.

“I read some of them with my 13-year-old son and we just laughed and hung them around, put them on the ledge, and used them to decorate the Christmas tree," said Wilson.

“It gave me confidence, ideas, inspiration and motivation to do these things for others. This has given me so much compassion within myself. Sometimes, it's just random acts that can change lives.”

Pain as single mum dies

Earlier, a single mum whose primary goal in life was to give her daughter a better life, sadly passed on after coming from abroad.

Chiki was diagnosed with cancer early 2023, and her health kept deteriorating due to a lack of proper medical care.

The mother appealed for financial help to seek treatment; however, fate had other plans in store for her.