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Army Veteran still working at 88-years-old
At 88 years old, Bambas often reflects on his past, which can sometimes be painful as it reminds him of what is no longer here.
(FOX 2) - A Metro Detroit senior citizen has become a viral sensation. At 88, most seniors are enjoying retirement, but Army veteran Edmund Bambas is working five days a week because he says he can't afford not to. However, help is on the way.
Big picture view:
Bambas retired from General Motors in 1999 with eyes on no longer working. He had served in the U.S. Army for years before getting the job at the automaker.
"In 2012 they went bankrupt and took my pension away from me," he said.
"The thing that hurt me the most was when my wife was really sick and when they took the pension, they also took the health care coverage and all but $10,000 of my life insurance," he said. "So I sold the house. Sold the property I had, and we made it through."
Bambas said his wife died seven years ago.
"She developed atrial fibrillation," he said.
Since then, he's been trying to reestablish himself. He doesn't have enough income on his own, which is why he now spends a big chunk of his week on his feet, working.
Ed says his monthly pension payout from his days working at GM is not enough to live on.
"I get $300 from that pension, that’s all," he said. "I didn’t have enough money to survive."
Local perspective:
So, after serving his country, raising a family, and caring for his wife, this senior now works five days a week at the Meijer in Brighton on Grand River. If Bambas could retire, his dream would be to "live a little of somewhat the life I was hoping for."
Then, when two social media influencers, Mike McKinstry and Samuel Weidenhofer, heard about Ed, they paid him a visit.
"We put out a little fundraiser, and we’re going to see where it goes," said McKinstry. "We wanted to share his story and get some more awareness out there and hopefully start a GoFundMe fundraiser."
To kick it off, Weidenhofer tipped Edmund $400. As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe has eclipsed the $1 million goal with the help of tens of thousands of donations.
Still shocked by the compassion, Edmund is thankful for all the kindness coming his way.
"It’s inspiring for me personally to see a story and see what he does every day. I think everyone around the world is kind of seeing the same thing now," said McKinstry.
What you can do:
If you want to help Ed enjoy retirement the right way, you can donate to the GoFundMe by clicking here.
'88 & Still Working': Viral GoFundMe helping Michigan vet retire
The Army veteran would have retired a long time ago, but for the past 13 years, life has not gone according to plan. His story was the substance of a viral video that took flight online this week - raising over a million dollars.