Just like any good dad would, Kevin Duke felt incredibly proud when his 16-year-old daughter, Jada, earned her license. Since his daughter’s milestone came so close to her birthday, Kevin decided to get her the best birthday surprise he could think of. So, the father decided to purchase Jada her very first car!
However, while looking over the vehicle, Kevin Duke stumbled across a secret pocket inside the glovebox. There, he found a touching letter that would make the father regret ever purchasing the car in the first place. What Kevin found revealed that the vehicle he just bought for his daughter was much more than just a simple vehicle…
1. A Sweet-Sixteen Gift
Most teenagers eagerly await their 16th birthdays, so they can finally earn their driver’s license. In fact, some lucky teens even receive a car for their sweet 16. Jada Duke was one of those fortunate kids. For her 16th birthday, Jada’s father, Kevin Duke, surprised his daughter with a car.
Buying a car is never an easy task. So, a few weeks ahead of his daughter’s special day, Kevin began searching for the perfect starter car for his daughter. Of course, the car needed to run well and keep his daughter safe. Soon enough, Kevin found what seemed like a perfect car. Little did he know that the vehicle held an unexpected secret inside…
2. The Perfect Car
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One weekend in January, Kevin Duke started visiting car dealerships, searching for a car for his daughter Jada. Unfortunately, nothing turned up. Then, when discussing the problem with a customer at his construction job, the customer gave Kevin a tip on a great used car for sale.
“She told me that she had seen a car that would be a perfect starter car for my daughter,” Kevin told CNHI News later on. The car, a silver Ford Fusion, was not only safe, but it had few miles on it. It seemed perfect for Jada! Still, neither the customer nor Kevin knew the real history of the vehicle.
3. A Little Maintenance
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After receiving the tip, Kevin Duke decided to check out the used car. As described, the father found the used Ford Fusion in excellent condition. Of course, Kevin asked to take the car for a test drive before buying it. “The brakes squeaked a little bit, but it was a good car,” he said.
Despite the squeaky breaks, Kevin decided to purchase the Fusion. Afterward, the dad took it home and, with his decent mechanical knowledge, gave the car and thorough maintenance check. Everything seemed perfect. However, while looking through the glovebox, Kevin would find something that would change his life forever…
4. Something He Found
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While the car ran well, Kevin still wanted to look through every nook and cranny. To his immense surprise, he discovered a hidden rubber mat inside the glovebox. Of course, as any of us would, Kevin felt overwhelmed with curiosity and needed to know more.
“Well, yesterday I’m in it tinkering around, and I open this storage compartment on top of the dash,” he said. “This time, I notice a rubber mat in the bottom of it, and for whatever reason, I pull it out.” For Kevin, it seemed pretty clear from the moment he noticed the mat that the original owner had hidden something here.
5. A Mysterious Envelope
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As Kevin Duke opened the rubber mat, a thousand different ideas ran through his head. After all, it could have been nothing, just an extra mat or an owner’s manual. However, it could also be something far more sinister, like a hidden weapon. The dad needed to make sure that everything was fit for his daughter Jada.
So, with a deep breath, Kevin opened the rubber mat to see what hid inside. Inside, he didn’t find a gun or manual. Instead, Kevin found an envelope, addressed to the “new car owner” containing what felt like a letter. Furthermore, the envelope claimed to include “important info inside.” Now, more curious than ever, Kevin needed to know more…
6. “To New Car Owner”
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While the rubber matt inside the glovebox had seemed strange, the envelope was even odder. Kevin Duke could not help but wonder why someone had gone out of their way to hide such a thing inside. Couldn’t the original owner have just simply told him the “important info” from the beginning?
Before long, Kevin decided to open up the envelope. After all, he was the new car owner, and his find was addressed to him! Inside, as he predicted, Kevin found a letter. And the minute the father started reading the content of the mysterious note, he felt immediately taken aback…
7. Something Wrong With The Car
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As Kevin unfolded the letter to begin reading, another terrible thought popped into his mind: what if he had found a warning message? It seemed reasonable to Jada’s father that the original owner of the car might have felt bad about not telling him all of the car’s issues. So, as a way to appease their conscience, they had left this left here to warn him. If only it had been that simple…
As Kevin Duke started reading the letter, he realized that nothing was wrong with the car. Instead, the car had the most heartbreaking past. As Kevin continued, he could not believe the words he read.
8. A Touching Letter
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As soon as Kevin Duke opened the envelope and started to read the mysterious letter, he began to realize that he had purchased no ordinary vehicle. Instead, the dad had purchased a car that meant the entire world to another person.
“To the person that gets this car,” the letter began. “I just wanted to let you know what a special vehicle you’ve bought. This car belonged to my mom. She passed away.” At that point, Kevin began to understand the dark past attached to the car. And, as he continued to read, the story became more evident with every word…
9. The Previous Owner
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As he continued reading the message, Kevin Duke learned that the writer of the letter was the daughter of the previous owner of the car. The Fusion had belonged to the writer’s mother, who unfortunately passed away not too long before Kevin purchased the vehicle as a sweet 16 gift for his daughter Jada.
Eventually, Kevin learned that this was much more than just a simple car for the person who had written the letter. “This car holds a lot of special memories for me,” he read. “My home and everything in it is gone, this car is all that I had left to touch.”
10. Cherished Moments
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At some points, the heartbreaking letter did have a twinge of happiness to it, especially as the author recounted the adventures her family had enjoyed in the Ford Fusion. In fact, she even warned Kevin that he might discover some long-forgotten chicken nuggets and crayons hidden in between the seats! “My family filled this car with lots of love and other sticky things,” she wrote in the letter.
“We took road trips, blared the ’80s and country music, and rolled the windows down. I’ve changed more diapers in the backseat than I can count,” the message continued. In fact, the letter even explained parts of the car to Kevin!
11. More Memories
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As Kevin continued reading the letter, it did tell why some of the vehicle had the damage it did. “The dent on the rear drivers’ side fender and the dent in the passenger’s side door are where my daughter learned to ride…and crash…her bike.”
The father smiled while reading these passages of the letter. Just like this family, Kevin had grown up loving their family trips in the car. It seemed that his own daughter, Jada, was not that much different than the author’s. Sadly, while the highs of the letter would make Kevin Duke smile, the lows would break his heart…
12. One Last Drive
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Unfortunately, while Kevin Duke’s new Ford Fusion had enjoyed some good times, it also had quite the dark past. As he continued to read, the father learned the devastating tragedy linked to his daughter Jada’s new car.
Kevin read that the author had lost her mother, daughter, and aunt, all on the same day. “The last time my mom drove this car was the day she left us,” the author wrote. “Her and my daughter went out shopping and got their hair cut.” Now that Kevin knew how much the Fusion meant to the author of the letter, he felt determined to track them down and find out why she had sold it in the first place.
13. Losing Everything
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After some research, Kevin learned that the author of the letter was a woman named Sabrina Archey. Furthermore, Archey had experienced the worst of tragedies. You see, Archey had lost not just her mother, but also her aunt and six-year-old daughter, Jensyn, in a house fire.
To make matters worse, the terrible event had occurred not even two years before Kevin had purchased the car. Not long after the fire, Archey’s life continued to worsen. As if the emotional toll of losing three family members wasn’t enough, the financial burden soon set in. Before she knew it, Archey found herself in one of the worst positions possible…
14. The Most Important People in Her Life
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In a blink of an eye, Archey had to say her final goodbye to her mother, her daughter, and her aunt, arguably the most important people in Sabrina Archey’s life. She could not believe that she would have to bury the people that meant the most to her at the same time. Worse, Archey had no idea how she would pay for the services.
While this was incredibly painful to bid farewell, the entire community pulled together to let Sabrina Archey know that they would be there for her even during the most difficult moments of her life. They hoped they could ease her burden, if only slightly…
15. A Charity Event
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Not long after the fire, the school of Archey’s daughter, Jensyn, organized a charity event to pay tribute to the little girl. Furthermore, they wanted to help the grieving mother in any way they could. At the event, people paid money to purchase pink balloons, which they released into the sky in Jensyn’s memory.
The school also wanted to raise awareness about the importance of having smoke detectors. “We hope it touches as many lives as possible, and it just brings awareness,” Archey said at the time. “Their sacrifices have to mean something, it has to mean something for us, and that’s why we’re doing it.” Overall, the event raised $700. Unfortunately, it would not be enough.
16. Financial Hurdles
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Of course, as anyone who has lost loved ones can tell you, the pain does not stop anytime soon. To make everything worse, Sabrina Archey needed to deal with the pain of losing three family members, while trying to organize and pay for three funerals. While the Ford Fusion had given her so many incredible memories, she had no money to take care of the funerals. As a result, Archey had no other choice but to sell her mom’s car.
“It’s very upsetting that I have lost my family, my home, and now I’m losing this last link I have with my mom and child through no fault of my own,” she wrote in the letter that Kevin Duke discovered in the glovebox.
17. More Than Just a Car
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Now, Kevin understood that the Ford Fusion he had purchased for his daughter Jada had quite a history. “I know it’s just a car to you, but to me, it’s so much more,” Archey wrote. The grieving woman simply wanted to make sure that whoever got the car knew how important it was for her and her family.
“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,” she wrote. However, that wasn’t the last piece of information Sabrina Archey passed on to Kevin Duke in her letter…
18. “Sylvia”
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Plenty of people like to name their family cars, and Archey and her family were no different! They had decided to name their Ford Fusion “Sylvia” before they had even made any memories in it! “The very first day mom got this car, we all rode around, and Dr. Hook’s ‘Sylvia’s Mother’ came in the radio,” she explained.
Archey continued, “The name kind of just stuck when my daughter said that’s what we should name the car. So please don’t change her name.” Continuing, Sabrina Archey had some great tip for Kevin on how to take care of good ol’ Sylvia…
19. Enjoy The Music
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It seemed clear to Kevin Duke that Sabrina Archey really wanted whoever inherited her family car to enjoy it the same way that she would have with her beloved family. She even asked that the new owner play some of the car’s, and her family’s, favorite songs.
“Play it a country song. ‘Big Green Tractor’ was my daughter’s favorite song ever or some Lynyrd Skynyrd ‘Free Bird,’” she wrote in the letter. “That song meant so much to us that I played it at their funerals.” Ultimately though, the grieving, previous owner simply wanted the new owner to enjoy themselves.
20. The End of the Letter
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It would make sense for Sabrina Archey to feel resentful towards the person who ultimately purchased the car; she didn’t feel that way at all. In fact, she felt quite the opposite! You see, Archey knew that this person had nothing to do with what happened to her, so she wished nothing but good things for Kevin Duke.
“I’m not mad at you. I hope this car is the best car you’ve ever owned,” Archey wrote at the end of her heartbreaking message. “Hope it runs for 100 more years. I hope the backseat is filled with kids and toys and random things.”
21. Wanting It Back
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As Archey finished up her letter, she wanted to make sure that the new owner knew that she would always be interested in buying back the car. “If you ever want to sell Sylvia, please try to find me,” she wrote.
Still, as she lived in the real world, Archey admitted that time might not come soon. “I just paid for 3 funerals, I can’t afford to buy it right now, but hopefully, I’ll be in a better financial situation if you decide later that she’s just not right for you anymore.” Now finished with the letter, Kevin Duke sat back in shock. Still, he knew what he needed to do…
22. Overwhelmed with Emotion
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After reading such a touching letter, Kevin Duke felt overwhelmed with emotions. He almost could not wrap his head around how one person could go through such a tragedy. This woman had lost everything she loved in the blink of an eye.
Kevin could only imagine the great pain this woman had to go through after losing so many people in just one day. As a father himself, while he had never experienced that level of pain, Kevin knew that the pain must be incredible. After taking a deep breath, he immediately got to work trying to do the right thing, finding Sabrina Archey.
23. Unhappy Birthday
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No 16-year-old wants to lose their new car right after receiving it. Especially if they got it as a gift for their sweet 16! So, when Kevin Duke approached his daughter Jada about returning the car, he had no idea how she would react. Moreover, Kevin had no idea what he would do if Jada decided she did not want to give up the Ford Fusion.
To his surprise, Jada took the news pretty well, especially after reading Archey’s letter herself. Just like Duke, Jada felt heartbroken by Archey’s tragic story. What’s more, she agreed with her father and knew that the best thing to do was give the car back to Archey, somehow.
24. Sharing Her Story
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With a little input from Jada, Kevin decided to share the heartwarming letter online. They figured it would be the best way to track down Sabrina. At the time, they didn’t know if they would ever find her, since Kevin had not purchased the car from Sabrina! Even worse, they still needed to come up with a plan for what to do if Sabrina did take Sylvia back. After all, Kevin had spent good money on her!
Still, knowing everything that the car represented to her, Kevin and Jada just could not keep the vehicle. As the father and daughter continued working, they had no idea their post would soon become a national sensation…
25. Going Viral
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To Dukes’ surprise, it didn’t take too long for their post to become a viral sensation. Within days, Kevin’s post received over 1,000 shares and nearly 20,000 comments and likes! Before long other sites and shows, like Inside Edition and Love What Matters, had shared the story, more than doubling its reach.
As the post continued to go viral, Kevin and Jada Duke felt overwhelmed with all the responses. It seemed impossible to comb through all the leads to try and contact Archey. Thankfully, the father and daughter would soon receive the help they desperately needed, from a most unlikely source – a stranger!
26. Taking Action
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Tammi Warrington was one of the thousands of people who saw the viral post on social media. After learning Archey’s story, Warrington felt heartbroken. Not only that, but she believed that sharing the story online wasn’t enough. Warrington felt compelled to do more. As far as she was concerned, Sabrina Archey needed to have Sylvia back, as soon as possible.
So, Warrington reached out to Kevin and Jada Duke and offered to help. Together, the trio started combing through the leads and doing the research. It was Warrington who managed to discover an article about the fire! With a new lead, the Warrington and the Dukes continued on their mission.
27. Joined Forces
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Thanks to the help of Warrington, the Dukes managed to track down Sabrina Archey over Facebook. Via messages, they reached out and asked if she would like Slyvia back. Of course, Archey responded yes – but she could still not afford to pay for the car. So, Warrington and the Dukes began work on the next part of their plan: raising money for Archey. Sitting down together, the trio worked out that they would need around $12,000 to replace the car and pay taxes.
If they were able to gather that money, they would be able to return Sylvia to Sabrina, without anyone losing money. However, they still needed to come up with a plan to raise that kind of cash. Before long, they had a brilliant idea…
28. A Fundraiser
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Tammi Warrington and Kevin and Jada Duke understood that raising $12,000 wouldn’t be easy. Still, they believed they could do it! The trio decided the best plan of action was to set up an online fundraiser.
Of course, even this plan was not without pitfalls. Most notably, they could not raise the money. Without $12,000, there was no way Sylvia could return to its rightful owner, as it would have put too much of a financial strain on the Dukes. The trio also worried that some might view them as opportunists, trying to make money off a woman’s misery. However, regardless of the risks, Warrington and the Dukes knew they needed to try. Before long, the fundraiser turned out to earn more than they ever imagined possible…
29. Receiving Overwhelming Help
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Within just a few days of the fundraiser going live, Warrington and the Dukes felt thrilled and excited to see that over $3,500 already raised. And it did not stop there! Within a week, the trio raised all the money they needed to gift Slyvia back to Sabrina Archey! And, just like the original post, the fundraiser quickly went viral.
When the time came to return the car to its rightful owner, multiple TV networks asked if they could record the amazing occasion. Ultimately, the story of the letter and fundraiser ended up on the program This Is Life Live. Finally, the time had arrived for everyone to get what they wanted…
30. The Outcome
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With the money finally raised, Sabrina Archey had Sylvia back in her life in no time at all. In fact, she ended up giving it another test drive. However, this time, Warrington sat in the front passenger seat while Kevin and Jada Duke sat in the back.
At the time, Archey felt simply overwhelmed with all the help and love that these people had provided her. “I feel really blessed,” she said. Meanwhile, Kevin Duke purchased another Ford Fusion for his daughter Jada. Fittingly, she named the car Sylvia2, in honor of Sabrina Archey’s family. In the end, everyone felt happy and blessed! All thanks to one little letter.
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