Parenthood
Three-year-old waits for garbage man so she can give him the sweetest gift
This melted my heart into a puddle.
Jenny Brown
10.21.21

Heroes come in all shapes and forms. In fact, you can find them in your very own neighborhood.

For one little girl named Brooklyn Andracke, she loved Thursdays because it was the day her own special hero would drive up – the garbage man.

YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition

Every week, Brooklyn would excitedly wait for the garbage truck to stop by her family’s Bloomington, Illinois home to pick up the trash. However, there was a Thursday in particular where she had a dream of hers come true.

Brooklyn spent almost a year waving “hi” to the garbage man named Delvar.

YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition

According to her mom Traci, she began waving to him from their window. But eventually, the toddler wanted to actually be outside each week to wave – and if they accidentally missed the pick-up, they’d drive around until they found his truck in the neighborhood.

While they didn’t know Delvar (or even his name) at the time, he’d smile and wave in return. This, of course, would make Brooklyn’s day.

YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition

Traci explained on Facebook:

“Every… Thursday, my heart is full when I see the joy that our amazing garbage man brings Brooklyn when he honks and waves at her with a BIG smile.”

Brooklyn’s third birthday turned into one she’ll likely never forget.

To celebrate the special occasion, Traci and Brooklyn decided to wrap up a cupcake and bring it out to the garbage man as a gift. Once they saw his truck, the pair started waving like they normally did. But then Traci motioned for Delvar to approach.

She described what happened next, saying:

“He pulled over, got out and gave us his BIG smile. Brooklyn was instantly speechless as she handed him the cupcake. I explained to him that he makes our day every Thursday, and we really appreciate the honking and waving, and how special of a day it is for us.”

While the moment was special enough with little Brooklyn getting to meet her hero the garbage man – his response left Traci’s heart in a puddle.

Turns out, it wasn’t just Brooklyn that enjoyed waving at Delvar, he looked forward to it as well!

The mom shared:

“He said that he has a meeting every Thursday morning and always tries to get out of there in a hurry so that he can make sure to see us every week. He said he doesn’t have any kids of his own, but he mentors several children and just loves them.”

After they said goodbye that day, Traci noticed that her daughter was “unusually quiet” while they were driving in the car.

She asked what was wrong, only for Brooklyn to respond: “Mommy, I’m so happy.”

Traci was so touched by the garbage man’s kindness and the incident that she decided to share her story online. It didn’t take long for it to go viral.

There were even more surprises to come.

The week following their meeting, Delvar showed up at the family’s home to pick up their trash.

Only this time, he was the one bearing gifts.

He brought with him birthday presents for his biggest fan, Brooklyn!

YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition

According to Inside Edition, the two became good buddies. Delvar even sent Brooklyn a video message where he gave her a closer look at the garbage process. Surely, she loved it.

It’s a story that’s won hearts across the internet. Inside Edition’s video alone has over 3.3 million views.

Press play below to enjoy even more of this sweet friendship!

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