Whenever you buy something used, there’s always a story attached to that. Even though you may never know what it is, sometimes you wonder.
That was the last thing on Kevin Duke’s mind when he purchased a used car for his teenage daughter, Jada, who was about to turn 16 and get a driver’s license.
Like any concerned father would do, Kevin drove the car around a few times to see if there were any safety problems with the car before he gave it to his daughter. He checked every crevice of it and one day, while opening a storage compartment above the dashboard, which he had already done it a few times, he noticed a rubber mat in the bottom of it and to his surprise, he finds an envelope with a letter inside that said: ”New Car Owner – Important Info Inside”.
Kevin was curious and opened the letter. What he didn’t expect was that letter to move him to shed a few tears.
"I bought my daughter, Jada, a used car a couple weeks ago. Since she doesn't turn 16 until March, I'm driving it to see…
Posted by Love What Matters on Friday, February 3, 2017
Heartbreaking Story Inside
The letter was written by the previous owner of the car, Sabrina Archey. She began the letter by saying how the new owner had purchased a very special vehicle. She then goes on sharing a real heartbreaking story: ”This car belonged to my mom. She passed away Feb 25, 2015, in a house fire along with my 6-year-old daughter and my aunt. The last time my mom drove this car was the day she left us. Her and my daughter went out shopping and got their haircut.”
”This car holds a lot of special memories for me. My home and everything in it is gone, this car is all that I had left to touch.”
Due to a paperwork mix-up, the insurance company ended up not paying off the car and Sabrina, after having to pay for three funerals was in a financial constraint and had to sell it against her will.
In the letter, she hopes the new owner has as much fun as her family had in that car, mentioning beautiful memories collected over the years with her mom and daughter: ”“Love, joy, and adventure was had in this car. So now that it’s yours, please remember it isn’t just a car. It’s a memory. This car, with all its quirks, is the last piece of my family. Be nice to it. Play it a country song, “Big Green Tractor” was my daughter’s favorite sound ever or some Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird.” That song meant so much that I played it at their funerals.”
She asked the new owner to not change the car’s name, Sylvia, which they named after a Dr. Hook’s song, Sylvia’s Mother, that was playing on the radio the day her mom bought the car.
Sabrina ends the letter asking the new owner if he by any chance one day decides to not want Sylvia anymore, to please contact her so she can buy it back from him.
Moved By The Letter
Kevin was deeply touched by the letter and shared it with Love What Matters. Many people who read it were moved by the story and a crowdfunding campaign was set up to raise money to return Sylvia to Sabrina and buy Jada a new car instead.
Kevin hopes to get enough help to be able to return the car to who it belongs to, Sabrina.
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