As of Thursday afternoon, more than $1.5 million had been raised to support an 88-year-old former GM employee who has been working at Meijer to make ends meet after medical expenses for his sick wife ate up his savings.
Ed Bambas, who told WXYZ that he doesn’t even have a smart phone, became an unlikely internet sensation after Australian TikToker Samuel Weidenhofer tracked him down at the Brighton, Mich., Meijer store where he works. Weidenhofer, who focuses on positivity content, said he learned about Bamabas from a comment on one of his videos.
In the TikTok video where he meets Bambas, Weidenhofer explains: “I actually had someone nominate you from this store and said you’re very hard-working.”
“Well I try to be,” the 88-year-old replied as he helped the influencer at checkout.
This video has more than 1 million likes. Bambas is seen explaining his situation – losing his pension, health coverage and life insurance while caring for his sick wife, who died seven years ago – and getting choked up. He gets even more emotional when Weidenhofer tells him his plans to raise money for him and gives him a $400 tip.
“Ed is 88 years old, an Army veteran, and he still works five days a week, eight hours a day,” Weidenhofer said in the description of the GoFundMe page he set up for the octogenarian.
Bambas said that he needs to work since his life circumstances have left him without enough retirement savings to live on. He wishes he had more time to spend with his family, including his two children.
“Despite everything, Ed shows up every day with quiet dignity, strength, and perseverance,” Weidenhofer added. “His story is a stark reminder that too many of our seniors, especially veterans face incredible challenges just to survive.”
In a Dec. 2 update, the influencer said that he plans to surprise Bambas with the funds in a few days.
“We are working tirelessly to make sure we set up a secure bank account or trust for him so the money is very safe and he can flourish in the best way possible,” he said. “This is why there is no current beneficiary, but I also don’t have any bank details added. Meaning it will just sit in the GoFundMe till it’s ready to transfer.”
As for Bambas, he hardly realizes how many people his story has resonated with.
“I’ve never been on those programs (TikTok and Instagram). I don’t own one of those fancy cellphones. In fact, I still have a flip phone just to talk to people,” Bambas said, per WXYZ.
Before GM went bankrupt in 2012, Bambas wasn’t expecting his future to include long days at Meijer. At the time of his retirement from the company in 1999, he wasn’t concerned.
“I felt comfortable. I felt I had a stable financial footing. I owned my house,” Bambas explained. “We didn’t have any major worries.”
When his wife got sick and the pension fell through, they had to sell their house. After she died, he knew he had to return to work.
“It wasn’t hard for me to do it because I knew I had to do it,” Bamabs said. "I’m fortunate God gave me a good enough body to be strong enough to stand there for eight, eight and a half hours a day.”
He also said he gets some help from his late wife.
“I just try to be myself, with one exception. I think my wife sits on my shoulder and helps me do the right thing,” Bambas said. “I try very hard to go to her gravesite every day and say hi... It helps me get through my day – it really does,” Bambas said.
Bambas isn’t the only former GM employee who was impacted by decisions to cut pensions.
For example, Congressman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) announced earlier this year that he and a group of bipartisan lawmakers planned to introduce the Susan Muffley Act of 2025. This legislation is aimed at restoring pensions for over 21,000 Delphi Salaried Retirees. Delphi is a GM subsidiary, per the Associated Press.
“The dedicated men and women who contributed to Delphi’s success were assured a secure retirement as a reward for their years of commitment,” said Congresswoman Macy Kaptur (D-Ohio). “Yet, time and again, we’ve seen how these solemn promises to American workers have been discarded, stripping them of financial stability that is justly theirs.”
As lawmakers work to secure those retirement savings, Weidenhofer is surprised and happy that the fundraiser for Bambas has turned out to be such a success.
“I just wanted to give him a chance to retire, you know? At least have some comfort. At first, I thought maybe there would be a little bit of support, but to see how much? It’s record breaking?” Weidenhofer said.