Man Secretly Saved Younger Brother's Rent Payments & Surprised Him with the Money Years Later

A big brother invited his younger brother to live with him after graduation. He started charging him rent six months later, but unbeknownst to his baby brother, the older sibling saved up the rent and added more money to it.

Having a loving and supportive family is every child's dream. People yearn to have older siblings they can rely on and look up to, and fortunately, some brothers and sisters go on to become best friends for life.

The phenomenal story of brotherhood and friendship we're sharing today will melt your hearts, making you believe in the institutions of family and love.

A DETERMINED YOUNG MAN

Todd Burkemper worked tirelessly to build a life for himself. After graduating college in 2011, he carved a successful career as an application designer and became a software developer at Buildium.

Despite the numerous challenges he endured, he never lost his will to move forward. His relentless efforts and hard work eventually helped him build a home in Wentzville, Missouri, in 2013.

He struggled financially with a house, car payment, and student loan debt for a while, but he was determined to overcome the obstacles and succeed. Todd also had a younger brother, Alex Burkemper.

BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE

While the two siblings were six years apart in age, they shared a profound connection. They were not only brothers but also best friends. Like a good big brother, Todd cared for Alex and never stopped looking out for him.

Alex was deeply moved by his older brother's loving gesture, as was expected.

When Alex finished college in 2017 and needed a place to stay, Todd invited him to live with him in his house 30 miles outside of St. Louis. Alex could either move back in with his parents or accept his older brother's offer and build a life for himself.

THE GRAND SURPRISE

Initially, Alex stayed at his brother's place for free. But after six months, Todd started charging him rent. Eventually, Alex garnered enough success to afford to live on his own. His offer placed on a house was accepted on May 26, 2017.

It seemed the time for him to fly on his own had finally arrived. The Burkemper family gathered to celebrate Alex's milestone. But what he didn't know was that there was a grand surprise in store for him.

Barbara Brownwell Burkemper, their mom, told GNN: "Although Alex was puzzled when he saw me with my camera out, he was even more confused, then completely shocked, when Todd held up a screenshot of the savings account balance on his phone."

THE EXEMPLARY BIG BROTHER

It turned out Todd had put all the rent he took from Alex in a bank account. Unbeknownst to him, Todd graciously added more money to it, so Alex had enough down payment saved up when he needed to buy his own home. Barbara told LADbible:

"Having been a young single man when he built his home, Todd knew the struggles and wanted to make sure Alex was well set."

The heartwarming moment Todd surprised his baby brother was captured on camera by their mother, who later shared the clip on Facebook. As was expected, Alex was deeply moved by his older brother's loving gesture.

PROUD PARENTS

Barbara and her husband expressed that they were proud of their sons for not just being brothers but best buddies who always helped each other. In her Facebook post, she wrote:

"We are so happy these two have always been not only brothers, but also best friends, and we could not be prouder of the kind and caring men they have become!!!"

The house had no dry eye as the two brothers tightly embraced. Indeed, the love the Burkemper siblings shared is enough to melt even the coldest hearts. Please share this incredible story with your family and friends.