Every parent eventually has to let go of their children as they grow up and make their own way in the world.
Many moms and dads are lucky to live close enough to their adult kids that they can still see each other regularly. Unfortunately, for others, whose children live thousands of miles away, visits can be very rare. That’s what happened to one California mom after her daughter moved to Australia a few years ago… so talk show host Ellen DeGeneres decided to do something about it.
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During a late February episode of “The Ellen Show,” the host boasted the benefits of Walmart’s grocery store pickup service. To demonstrate, she chose audience member Nancy Grenier, seemingly at random, to pick up some groceries for her. Nancy was adorably bursting with excitement at getting to meet her idol. Little did she know that Ellen had orchestrated an even better surprise.
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Jeannie whisked Nancy away to a Walmart parking lot, where the two waited for an “employee” to bring out Ellen’s order.
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When someone finally arrived with grocery bags in hand, Nancy smiled, about to thank her. That’s when she recognized the woman’s face – it was her daughter, Addie, whom she hadn’t seen in two years! “My daughter!” Nancy cried as her emotions overtook her.
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Once back at the studio, Nancy and Addie described how difficult it’s been to not see each other since Addie moved. The two are very close and speak on the phone every day. In fact, they used to watch Ellen together when Addie got home from school. But plane tickets are simply too expensive for them.
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Addie, who’s always had a lifelong dream of living in Australia, even shared how guilty she felt about keeping the surprise reunion a secret from her mom.
 
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After chatting with them for a couple of minutes, Ellen decided to pull out the contents of the grocery bags Addie delivered. “Walmart really doesn’t want you all to go that long not seeing each other again,” she said as she reached the bottom of one bag. That’s when she pulled out two stacks of bills totaling $20,000, handing one each to Nancy and Addie!
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Thanks to the generosity of Walmart and Ellen, this mother and daughter will finally be able to see each other more often. They clearly share a very close bond – we’re so happy for them!
Check out Ellen’s sweet surprise for Nancy and Addie in the video below, and don’t forget to share.
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