Hello, my name is Candice, and I’m creating this fundraiser for the most incredible man I’ve ever known—my grandfather, Thomas, or as everyone lovingly calls him, “Tom.”

Tom didn’t just help raise me… he shaped the person I am today. And now he is helping me raise my daughter with that same steady love and kindness. Anyone who knows him will tell you the same thing: he is the kind of man who would give the shirt off his back and never ask for anything in return.

In 2017, after Christmas, Tom lost his wife—my grandmother Joyce. What most people don’t know is that for eight years, he quit his job and became her full-time caretaker. He stayed by her side through every doctor’s appointment, every hospital stay, every hard moment. And when she passed, Tom was left with significant medical debt.

At an age where most people are enjoying retirement, Tom was forced to return to work.

He is now 86 years old, and for the past six years he has worked at our local Piggly Wiggly. He wakes up at 3 AM every single morning to push carts and bag groceries. He rarely misses a day of work. He has worked through holidays, birthdays, bad weather, and exhaustion—because he has no choice. His goal has always been to pay off his debt and retire at 90.

But he deserves so much more than that.

He deserves rest.

He deserves peace.

He deserves to enjoy his great-grandchildren without worrying about bills or debt hanging over him.

I’m starting this GoFundMe because I want to give him something he’s never been given: the ability to stop working and truly live the rest of his life in comfort. Even if you can’t donate, sharing this helps more than you know.

If it is in your heart to give, please help me help the most hardworking, loyal, selfless man finally retire early. Tom has spent his whole life taking care of everyone else. I would love nothing more than to give something back to him.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.