A TikToker went viral last month after raising $186,000 to help a woman retire from working retail for 20 years.
Devan Bonagura, 19, shared a video of Nola Carpenter, 81, in a Walmart break room in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Bonagura captioned the video with a frowning face emoji and “I feel bad.”
“Life shouldn’t [be] this hard,” the text on the screen reads.
83-YEAR-OLD KIDNEY DONOR WINS ONTARIO LOTTERY
Comments on the video, which has garnered over 31 million views since it was posted in early November, led the teenager to start a GoFundMe donation page.
Users also prompted Bonagura to interact more with Carpenter, saying, “A lot of older people are neglected even by family.”
“Bro, talk to her please,” one comment said.
“This is who our money should be going to, our seniors & veterans in our country. We must take care of them!” another comment reads.
@dbon973 :/ I feel bad. #fyp #blowthisup #sad #walmart Jocelyn Flores – XXXTENTACION
The GoFundMe page raised more than $110,000 in the first 24 hours, according to reports.
Bonagura shared the good news with Carpenter in a second video, which has over 2 million views.
When a grateful Carpenter admitted that she needed at least $60,000 more to pay off her mortgage, which is what led her to keep working past retirement age, users were prompted to give more to secure her retirement.
@dbon973 WE LOVE YOU NOLA I HOPE THIS HELPS:heart::pray: #blowthisup #fyp #gofundme #nola #walmart #viralvideo original sound – DBON
The average retirement age in the United States is between 66 and 67, according to the Social Security Administration. While early retirement starts as early as 62 for reduced benefits, the amount individuals receive is determined by the number of years worked.
Because of the viral video and funds raised, Carpenter will now be able to retire in January. She told Bonagura that she wants to make sure her coworkers get through the holiday season before leaving.
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The second video ended with a picture of the two, and “We love you Nola” was written on the screen.
While Bonagura wasn’t a Walmart employee, he did work for a cellphone carrier that operated inside the store. He was suspended without pay for filming, but he said he felt he did “the right thing.”
