CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi woman is receiving dozens of gifts from strangers around the world — from Chicago to the Netherlands — all thanks to an unlikely friendship.
Mary Grant, 88, a resident at Solstice Senior Living, has been getting packages every week after her friend, Denise Lopez, 26, began sharing their story on TikTok.
The friendship began in August, when Mary needed help at a local gas station, and Denise offered to step in.
"And it went from helping her find Diet Coke, to toilet paper, to refrigerated food," Denise Lopez said.
"She bought all of it. She wouldn't even let me pay for my own stuff," Grant said.
The two exchanged phone numbers and began spending time together. Denise started posting about their friendship on TikTok, and Mary quickly became a hit.
"It went from me posting about Mary not celebrating her birthday to so many people asking, 'Does Mary have a wishlist?' 'Does Mary have everything she needs?' And I made a wishlist for her and she has been getting packages every week," Lopez said.
Among the gifts are packages arriving from as far as Chicago and the Netherlands.
Dozens of packages and millions of views later, the duo even made it on national television, in a segment on the "TODAY Show."
Mary said she doesn't even know what TikTok is, but that this experience has shown her that kindness is everywhere.
"You would hear these stories on television or a story in a magazine, and you'd never think it would happen to you, but it did. It's unbelievable actually," Grant said.
Lopez said she wants to hold a Day of Giving at Solstice — not just for Mary, but for all the residents there. She hopes to plan it for sometime before the holidays.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
