After spending over four decades of their lives together, a woman made an unusual request to her dying grandmother. She even took it a step further by asking her nana for a sign to know her wish was fulfilled.
Facebook user Michelle Gordon McDougal utilized the platform to share the story of her unusual bond with her grandmother, which prevailed even after her death. During her grandmother’s last days, the woman volunteered to spend time with her at least twice each week.
But on their last night together, McDougal made an unusual demand from her grandmother, asking her to send her lots of coins when she got to heaven so she’d know her nana was near. Interestingly, she got her wish four years later, taking to Facebook to share photos of the pile of pennies that she’d gathered since her grandmother’s passing!
In her post from , McDougal revealed she didn’t come by all the coins at once but discovered them over the years in the strangest places. After acquiring quite the collection, the woman decided to embark on a project using the pennies in her grandma’s honor.
McDougal couldn’t help but feel excited that her grandmother remained close and was watching over her as she had done since her birth. The relationship between the two women was forged right after McDougal was born on her granny’s 39th birthday.
As the first of seven grandchildren, their connection went unrivaled as they embarked on family vacations, shopping trips, and girls’ outings as a pair. The duo became the center of each other’s worlds, with the kindhearted nana making numerous sacrifices to ensure her grandchildren grew up happy and healthy.
McDougal’s grandmother was someone described as a “caring soul” who’d gladly “give you the shirt off her back.” When her granddaughter was ten, she had firsthand experience of that side of her grandmother. Her mother and grandparents hired a nurse to care for her when she almost died from a bout of pneumonia.
McDougal never concerned herself about how the trio paid for the caregiver until her grandfather mentioned it years later. The grandparent revealed his granddaughter’s nana sacrificed by working “triple shifts” at a shoe store, so her mother could afford the nurse, with McDougal’s grandfather recalling:
“She would come home with her fingers bleeding from sewing so many shoes.”
However, the wise woman quickly washed any evidence of her suffering before coming over to ensure her granddaughter was okay. Her grandfather confessed that that’s how much his wife loved her. Luckily, McDougal got to make some of her own sacrifices for her nana to help her transition.
Indeed, McDougal grew up, got married, and started her own family, giving her grandmother more reasons to smile. However, that smile was soon wiped from their faces after doctors diagnosed her grandmother with cancer.
In her usual resilience and determination, the brave grandmother beat cancer and was declared totally in remission, to everyone’s happiness. Unfortunately, that joy was short-lived as the family matriarch experienced a relapse.
That second time, doctors said she was beyond treatment and could only await her fate. From there on, relatives took turns to spend nights with her nana and keep her comfortable.
As fate would have it, McDougal had the last turn watching her grandmother. The two women spent the night laughing, eating Chinese food, and discussing everything in their usual “bestie” manner.
It was during their memorable night that McDougal made her unusual request and received the nod of approval from her grandmother. She sadly passed away two days later.
How Did Michelle’s Late Grandmother Hold True to Her Dying Promise?
Right after bidding her nana farewell, McDougal began finding coins by the dozens, which she kept as they pilled up in a large mason jar! She explained the phenomenon and revealed the joke her mother made about them:
“Those dozens turned into hundreds and hundreds of pennies. My mom joked and said, ‘Michelle, you should have told her to send twenty-dollar bills.’ But pennies to me are perfect[…].”
Four years later, she finally figured out what she wanted to do with the pennies. With her husband’s help, McDougal made a wooden slab out of old barn boards and carefully glued each penny on it to form a glittering heart shape.
As a finishing touch, she inscribed the words “Love & Kisses Nana” on the board using a Cricut machine and an old golden card she once received from her grandmother. What better way to immortalize their love? However, that’s not the only thing McDougal has done to pay tribute to her nana.
How Does Michelle Keep Honoring Her Late Grandmother?
On December 5, 2021, McDougal showed how her grandmother is still in her thoughts and heart by dedicating a post to her memory. Sharing a throwback photo of them together on Facebook, the loving granddaughter wished her late nana a “Happy heavenly birthday.”
The granddaughter also shared her gratitude for all the birthdays that she got to have with her grandmother. Educating those who didn’t know their story, McDougal revealed that she shared a birthday with her nana, having been born when the older woman celebrated her special day.
