Grieving her mom, a UK woman turned to TikTok to find her Egyptian pen pal she’d lost 18 years ago — until one comment left her in disbelief
Social media can be overwhelming at times, but one thing it has been good at is reuniting people with their loved ones. United Kingdom resident Amy (@sick_girlll) had been pen pals with a girl named Hana from Egypt since the 2000s, until they lost touch in 2008. Amy, who had been grieving her mother's death, was sorting through some old storage boxes when she came across Hana's letters that brought back memories she thought she had forgotten. After posting about the letters on TikTok on December 24, 2025, asking online users to help her find her pen pal, one comment under the post left her speechless, per PEOPLE.
28-year-old Amy had been experiencing the loss of her mother after she passed away in 2024. While she was sorting out a few old storage boxes, she happened to come across something that brought back a flash of memories. Amidst the old items lay letters from Hana, Amy's pen pal from Egypt, who used to send letters to her in the early 2000s. From a Cairo and Giza 2008 calendar to photos of a young Hana, the letters and cherished items given to Amy made her want to reconnect with her friend. Unfortunately, the two lost contact in 2008, which prompted her to seek TikTok's help to find her friend.
Posting snippets from the letters and photos she owned, Amy wrote, "TikTok, please do your thing and help me find my pen pal from nearly 20 years ago." To her surprise, she received an unexpected comment under the post. After the post hit millions of views, it came to the notice of the right person: Hana. Amy's pen pal from Egypt left a comment that Amy had been waiting to receive. "Hai Amy. TikTok did its thing, and I couldn't be more excited," she wrote.
Amy, who was in disbelief, told the outlet that finding Hana's comment brought back a part of her childhood. "It was hard to keep track of all the comments, but she commented on the video and sent me a message request," Amy said. In the follow-up post, Amy shared a screenshot from their DMs and thanked internet users for "helping reunite two little girls from different countries nearly 20 years later," she wrote.
The girls soon exchanged their addresses and now plan to write letters once again, just like old times. "It was a slower time, when connection felt more personal and intentional. I'm just really grateful for the kindness and shared nostalgia this sparked," she said.
The video quickly went viral, with viewers sharing their own stories in the comments section. @MHM06 recounted, "My brother's best friend found his pen pal, and they are now married! The best love story! cannot stop gushing over it." @Kelly mentioned, "I found my pen pal on Facebook, and she didn't remember me and was low-key rude." @lokinightfury wrote, "I found my pen pal 30 years later because she popped up on my F! Fingers crossed for you!"