Woman receives heartbreaking response after texting dead father for 4 years

A woman who has spent the last four years sending text messages to her late father’s phone – ever since his death – has revealed the moment she finally received a response. And the heartbreaking message has since gone viral.

Chastity Patterson from Arkansas, US, has been sending her dead father almost daily updates about her life ever since losing him, but never received a response. However, after sending a moving and lengthy note on the day before the fourth anniversary of his death, she finally got a reply from a man who was battling his own grief after losing his daughter in a car crash.

The man, who identified himself as ‘Brad’, admitted he had been reading the messages for four years but was reluctant to reply in case it caused Chastity more heartbreak. He said the messages had given him hope and “kept him alive” as he struggled to come to terms with his daughter’s tragic death.

“Hey Dad, it’s ME. Tomorrow is going to be a tough day again!” Chastity wrote in her initial message, which she’s since shared on Facebook. She went on to fill him in on some of her biggest milestones, including graduating college and beating cancer, as well as having her heart broken before finally finding love.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me the most,” the message continued, before Chastity admitted she was scared of getting married without him there, writing: “I’ll have to walk that long aisle alone and you won’t be there to tell me everything will be okay, I’m doing great, you would be so proud of the woman I have become…”

However, adding some light-hearted words into the message, she joked that she still drove her mum crazy and her attitude hadn’t changed in the years since he’d been gone. “I just wanted to say I love you and I really do miss you!” she added.

She then shared a screenshot of the heartbreaking reply she received, which began: “Hi sweetheart, I am not your father, but I have been getting all your messages for the past four years. I look forward to your morning messages and your nightly updates. My name is Brad and I lost my daughter in a car wreck August 2014 and your messages kept me alive. When you text me, I know it’s a message from God.”

The message went on: “I’m sorry you lost someone so close to you, but I have listened to you over the years and I have watched you grow and go through more than anyone. I have wanted to text you back for years, but I didn’t want to break your heart.”

Brad went on to call him his “angel” and applauded her life achievements, before adding: “You are an extraordinary woman and I wish my daughter would have become the woman you are, thank you for your everyday updates, you remind me that there is a God and it wasn’t his fault that my little girl is gone.

“He gave me you, my little angel and I knew this day was coming. Everything will be okay, you to push yourself everyday and shine the light God gave you. I’m sorry you have to go through this, but if it makes it any better, I am very proud of you.”

After sharing the exchange on her social media, Chastity’s message has since gone viral, racking up more than 280,000 shares. She captioned it: “I text my dad everyday to let him know how my day goes, for the past Four years! Today was my sign that everything is okay and I can let him rest!”

Seeing the incredible response, she’s since thanked everyone for their kinds words – particularly people who had messaged her to talk about their own grief and life stories. She wrote in another post: “I would like to thank everyone for the kind words and sharing my story, I never would have imagined the response it has gotten. I didn’t share to gain anything, I just wanted my friends and family to know that I was okay and this year wasn’t going to be hard for me.”

Chastity then revealed her dad Jason Ligons was not her biological father, but had always been the father figure in her life. She added: “He never missed a school dance, prom, my games and YES he would give me long talks about my mouth and attitude. I had to introduce my boyfriends to him (If I was allowed to date) and he would act like a normal dad and give us the long talk.

“I’ve cried with him, told him everything and even became very independent because he took the time to love me and show me what happiness looks like. SO YES Jason was my father but he was a role model for many kids in our town.”