He’s 88, working full-time and struggling to retire. A viral video changed everything.

At 88, Ed Bambas isn’t living the life he’d always dreamed of.

Bambas, an Army veteran, told social media influencer Samuel Weidenhofer that he lost his pension and health insurance in 2012. Around the same time, his wife was sick. He sold his home to cover the cost of caring for her.

Seven years after her death, Bambas said he’s working eight-hour days, five days a week at a Meijer store in Detroit. But thanks to some generous strangers, he could soon retire.

Weidenhofer, who posts inspiring videos on TikTok, shared Babmas’s story on Dec. 1 and linked to a GoFundMe to help Babmas. The video went viral, garnering 8 million views, and donors raised more than $1.5 million in three days to support the Army veteran.

“This is unbelievable,” Weidenhofer wrote on Facebook on Dec. 4. “Thank you for coming together to change an 88-year-old veteran’s life. And thank you for helping shine a light on all the veterans out there — all the ‘Ed’s’ who are still working hard just to make ends meet.”

It’s been a whirlwind for Bambas. In an interview for a local ABC news station in Detroit, Bambas said he tries to go to his wife’s gravesite every day “to say hi.”

“I think my wife sits on my shoulder and helps me do the right thing,” Bambas said.

Influencer to surprise veteran with $1.5 million

Weidenhofer will surprise Bambas with the money on Dec. 5, Weidenhofer said on Facebook.

“We are currently working with a professional trust company to ensure everything is set up with complete safety, transparency, and security,” Weidenhofer wrote in the post. “100% of the funds will go directly to Ed.”