Woman texted her late grandmother’s phone number while grieving — then came a reply that stopped her cold
The excruciating pain one feels after the passing of a loved one eventually subsides with time. However, grief remains! And the melancholy of wanting to hear their voice again can gnaw at you when you least expect it. That same feeling was experienced by TikTok user Shantasia Stanley (@talkswtasia) when she had this sudden urge to text her deceased grandmother's number. At first, it was just another coping mechanism, but what it turned into left her in tears. The story was also reported by PEOPLE on Saturday, April 11, 2026, where she shared details about the kindness shown by a stranger.
@talkswtasia I wasnt expecting to be boohoo crying today but.. here we are 😭 #griefjourney ♬ Sad - HYQU
After Stanley sent out that text, "Miss you," on April 2, 2026, she saw it being delivered and read. At that point, she didn't dwell on the matter, but the shock came when she received a reply. First, her grief intensified knowing her grandmother's number was given away. Yet, she briefly apologized and naturally thought of never texting that number again. But soon she started getting replies, especially GIFs, with messages like "I love you." "I miss you"— the kind that a grandmother who just started using a smartphone would send. The 27-year-old slowly realized the person on the other end wasn’t just replying, but they were trying, in their own way, to comfort her.
However, the creator soon realized that she was speaking to a minor since she started sending anime pics. They reminded her of her grandmother, Lucille, a lot. The little girl also recorded singing "Girl in Green" by Maddox Batson to make Stanley feel better. Coincidentally, Stanley's grandma always loved wearing a green dress, and they shared their love for gospel music. "I truly think she prompted that girl to send me that song, because she knew I would understand the hidden meaning behind it," Stanley believed.
Their conversation showed the level of empathy someone so young possessed, especially when she could have just stopped texting the moment she knew this was a stranger. With tears in her eyes, Stanley sent her one final text saying she can't be talking to her anymore since she is a minor, but ended the message by appreciating her kindness. "Tell your parents what happened, and tell them they are raising a caring person, and they should be proud," her text read.
The comment section also became very emotional, with some sharing their own stories and others in awe of the girl's gesture. @mtrlgowrl wrote, "It’s an empathetic baby," while @themby_b mentioned, "Oh my god, her singing 'The Girl in Green' and your Grandma wearing a green dress in her obituary picture. I'm sobbing." Many even implied that the incident was like a sign that her grandmother was watching over her.
Some were even quick to point out how the little girl immediately apologized after knowing the story, since she initially replied to her message with a harsh "Who are you?" @belleinwonderland__ remarked, "The second ‘No, I’m sorry’ tells that her heart is so big. I hope the world protects her." Sometimes, comfort shows up in the most unexpected places, in ways that feel almost too perfectly timed to ignore. And while grief never truly leaves, it has a way of reminding us that even in loss, a sense of connection can still find its way back.
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