Only Daughter Takes Care of Disabled Mom for Years, Father Appears When They Become Famous – Story of the Day

A daughter melts hearts with her dedication to her paralyzed mother, whom she has taken care of for years after her father abandoned them. Years later, when she is at the peak of success, he unexpectedly appears and extends an olive branch.

Abbie was a wannabe detective since eight. It was a dream fed by the numerous episodes of crime dramas and book series that intrigued her. As she grew up, she wanted to put a gumshoe on solving mysteries in the graffiti-drenched lanes in the town she lived.

But the biggest mystery Abbie could never solve was — about her estranged father and his whereabouts.

Abbie knew little about him except that his first name was 'Randy.' Her mother, Vera, refused to reveal anything else. But Abbie never grew tired of lobbing her with questions.

"How did you meet? Was he like this when you dated? What exactly happened, and why did he leave us?" she often asked. The more Abbie wanted to know about her father, and the more Vera concealed the truth. It still haunted her when she recalled that day when Randy had just disappeared without a trace...

Years ago, Vera and her husband lived the life of their dreams in their little house on the hillside. Randy worked in a shoe factory, while Vera was a wonderful homemaker. They made enough money to make their little dreams come true, and one was to have a baby.

They had been married for five years, and though their little house had an abundance of everything a middle-class couple could ask for, it lacked just one thing — the sharp, shrill cries of a baby.

If you love someone from your heart, you will never abandon them.

Like many women, Vera was diagnosed with issues in conceiving. The only sliver of hope she had was when doctors told her she still had a slim chance of getting pregnant. Randy and Vera did not lose heart and kept trying. And one day, their prayers were answered.

"Oh my God!! I cannot believe this!" Randy cried when Vera told him she was pregnant. It was like a dream come true. This was the day they constantly prayed for, and it finally arrived. The ultrasound Vera took a few weeks later revealed a tiny girl baby growing inside her. Randy's joy shrunk into slight despair, and he was pretty upset.

"I thought we'd have a baby boy. But..." he grinned.

"Darling, whether it's a boy or a girl, it's our baby. She's a blessing," Vera told him.

She loved each day of her pregnancy. Her belly bulged, carrying all the happiness she had dreamed of, and soon, it was time to welcome their child into the world.

After an exhausting labor, the maternity ward echoed with loud cries of Vera's newborn baby girl. "Abbie is here!!" she sighed. Her joy overshadowed all that pain she had endured. Vera was so happy that day and thought even Randy would feel the same.

A few days later, Vera was discharged and went home with her newborn baby. She was the happiest when her little girl kicked and wriggled in her arms. Vera felt her life was complete, and one night, two weeks later, she felt her fingers tingle.

"What's happening to me??" she panicked and saw Abbie crying in her crib. It was time to feed the baby. Vera gently rose from her bed, feeling unusually heavy as though someone was tugging her from behind. Vera somehow got up but could not move further. She couldn't walk or feel her legs.

Vera shrieked, startling Randy, who was fast asleep beside her. She was rushed to the hospital, and 72 hours later, doctors revealed she was paralyzed. Randy shuddered, thinking about his responsibilities ahead. He had to care for his newborn and simultaneously look after his wife, who would be using a wheelchair all her life. The very thought of it frightened him.

A few weeks later, Vera returned home. She was shattered because she had initially thought she would be okay. But every random doctor she visited over the next several weeks revealed the same thing. It was hard for Vera, but she embraced the truth and moved on.

A few more months passed, and one morning, Vera found a note on the bed where Randy slept. He was not there. His empty cabinet stared back at her. All his clothes, his belongings, and even his shoes were gone. She called him, but his number was out of service. Vera's heart paddled in fear when she picked up the note and read it:

"I tried, but I can't do this anymore. I'm tired. I don't want to keep pushing your wheelchair all my life. Even I have dreams. I wanted a beautiful wife and a baby. I thought I got both, but I cannot look after you like I care for our child. I am sorry. Please take care of the baby. Goodbye."

Vera took a long time to process the painful blow that Randy had abandoned her and their baby because of her disability. He disappeared in a wink, leaving her with a mountainous responsibility on her shoulders. Vera was crushed, and her baby's loud cries reminded her to keep moving.

The path ahead appeared rugged and challenging, but she decided to keep going for her daughter. She remembered a skill her late grandmother had taught her and knew it was how she would raise her child.

Vera transformed the empty garage outside her house into a tailor shop and began sewing garments for people in the neighborhood.

The initial days were very hard for her. Most of her neighbors preferred fancy, branded clothes in boutiques to the ones she made. But sewing was her primal skill. She was a school dropout and could not readily find a better-paying job. Moreover, she wanted a job that allowed her to keep an eye on her daughter all the time.

It was a rough ride for Vera as days passed. She could barely make ends meet with the little she earned, but her confidence levels rose with each passing day. Several years passed, and Vera was able to provide for her daughter quite well.

Abbie, then 15, forgot about her passion for becoming a detective. Seeing her mother struggle tormented her. She wanted to help her mom take care of everything, and upon her insistence, Vera taught Abbie to sew. Daily after school, she would spend long hours practicing sewing with leftover cloth bits on their old treadle sewing machine.

Soon, Abbie's diligence helped her become one of the youngest budding seamstresses in town. She introduced new designs and patterns that people loved, especially ladies and teens.

Vera and Abbie started making more money and became increasingly close with each other. They were still middle-class but had earned enough to spend special occasions and holidays together.

While all was well, the years Vera had worked hard caught up with her. She developed health issues and could no longer work on the sewing machine like before. She feared she would have to close her business, but Abbie, then 17, convinced her not to do it.

"Mom, we can do this together. I will help you. You needn't worry about anything," she encouraged Vera to keep their business running. This was all Vera needed when in her weakest moment. She trusted Abbie and handed over the tailor shop to her.

Abbie was on summer break and devoted more time to her work. She spent days and nights trying the new designs she'd been working on. She changed the whole setup of their tailor shop by transforming it into an attractive boutique.

Mannequins clothed in her designer clothes lured people to look into the store's latest trends. Abbie's steadfast devotion to their business reaped good results, and gradually, she started making more money and even paid for her mother's treatment.

"Abandoning your loved ones is not a mistake... it's a sin."

Vera eventually recovered and joined forces with her daughter to keep their business steady. Abbie's dedication to propel what her mother started reaped another sweet fruit when she launched a new boutique in the town square. She was so happy and wished her father she never knew about, were there to celebrate her success.

On the inauguration day, the local media flocked to the boutique to interview Vera and her daughter for their article featuring their struggles and their journey to success. Vera then gave a short speech at the ribbon cutting, revealing why her husband left her, and Abbie's heart broke when the truth finally unraveled.

"...My daughter always asked me who her father was. I told her in bits and pieces. But today, I think she's old enough to know about him fully," Vera began revealing to the local press.

"My husband left me with my newborn because he thought I would be a burden in the wheelchair. But I want to tell him one thing... Randy, if you are somewhere reading this, look, this is my daughter. I raised her alone and gave her both a father's and mother's love. She doesn't need her mother to have legs to raise her. She just needed love, and I will love her till my last breath. I am what I am today because of her."

"My daughter inspired me not to give up. She never left me in my weakest moment!"

Everyone's heart melted at Abbie's love for her mother. They were moved to tears, and Vera and Abbie stepped into their new boutique as the confetti rained. With time, they launched two more branches, and their garments became the talk of the town.

Several years passed, and Abbie, then 23, stopped thinking about her father. She could not find a soft spot in her heart to forgive him for abandoning his family. Then one day, someone knocked on her door.

"Yes??" she answered. She stared into the man's eyes, unable to quickly guess he was Randy, her estranged father. She looked beyond his beard and wrinkles, and Randy looked like a mess, worn out with time.

"Who is it, honey??" Vera came wheeling to the living room and was startled when she saw her estranged husband at the door.

"Darling, how are you?" Randy uttered after a momentous silence.

Abbie could not believe her eyes. She had never seen her father so close before. She'd only seen him in her mom's old wedding photos. She'd never called him 'daddy' all her life and could not pull herself to call him that.

"Why are you here?" she asked him.

Randy looked restless as he waited for his wife and daughter to let him in.

"Stay right there," Abbie yelled when he took a step forward.

"Sweetie, I'm your dad... I came here to see you," said Randy. "I am sorry for what I did. Though I was far away, I still loved you."

"I know you are my father who left my mom and me. You abandoned us when we needed you the most... when mom needed you the most. AND YOU NEVER LOVED US. Why are you here now?"

Randy did not have the courage to answer her. Perhaps, how could he do it? How could he tell his daughter he was extending an olive branch to the family he had abandoned after learning of their success?

Vera and Abbie's success story had spread like wildfire in and out of town and ultimately reached Randy's ears. He met them with the assumption of potential reconciliation. He wanted to get back to his wife and daughter. He wanted them to be that one happy family again.

"But you destroyed it with your own hands, didn't you?" Abbie broke Randy's silence.

"You left mom thinking she would be a burden. You only saw her sitting in the wheelchair. You were afraid you'd have to keep pushing her forward all your life, right? But let me tell you something... My mom pushed me forward. She is behind my success. We are where we are today cuz of her. We have each other. We don't want someone else between us."

"Honey, please... I'm your dad. I'm not someone else," he pleaded with Abbie and Vera as she turned around and wheeled away to her room. "Sweetie, I'm your father. Please forgive me. Everyone makes mistakes."

But Abbie never gave in to Randy's pleas. "Abandoning your loved ones is not a mistake... it's a sin. You did not need us when our life was miserable. You left us when we needed you. We don't need you now!"

Abbie slammed the door shut in her father's face as he wept, regretting that one reckless mistake he had made years ago.

What can we learn from this story?

• If you love someone from your heart, you will never abandon them. When Vera was paralyzed and started using a wheelchair, Randy abandoned her with their newborn baby. Years later, he extended an olive branch but was never given another chance.
• The path ahead might be filled with hurdles and failures. Never give up because the journey to your destination is all that matters. Despite their difficulties, Vera and Abbie supported each other and never let problems stop them from accomplishing.

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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.