Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BELGIUM — A man who lost his beloved wife of 63 years and his dog in the space of four months received a touching surprise from his family.
And, yes, you will need a tissue, maybe two.
Davy Vanhaesendonck explains during the video that the death of his grandma has been understandably tough for his 85-year-old grandpa, François Vermeir, even though he is surrounded by the “best friends and family.” So the family decided to surprise their grandpa with a new puppy to “give him energy and the courage to continue his life.”
Vermeir's 6-year-old great-granddaughter Lisa picked out the Yorkshire Terrier and its name, Snoopy. When Vermeir turns around and sees the puppy, he is immediately overcome with emotion, saying, “I can’t believe it! Is it for me?”
It’s both heart-warming and heart-breaking to see Vermeir clutch his new pet while crying, especially when one of his grandsons says, “You’re not alone anymore, grandpa.”
Related Story
Have You Seen This? Going to be a grandpa
Thursday, Have You Seen This? showed you a little taste of pure fan joy, so how about some true grandpa joy today?According to ITV, Vanhaesendonck said that he was surprised at the reaction to the video.
"Apparently people find it so beautiful and want to share it with as many people as possible," he said.
Vermeir credits his family for helping him through his grief.
"I'm glad I have a new dog, but also such lovely children, grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Without them I might not have been here through the grief,” Vermeir said.
