Before He Passed, A Father Made Sure His Teen Daughter Wouldn't Be Without A Birthday Gift From Him Every Year Until She's 21
Bailey Seller's father made sure he could celebrate her birthday, even after he was gone.
Twitter Michael Sellers lost his battle with pancreatic cancer when his daughter Bailey was 16 years old, yet he found a way to be present for Bailey’s future birthdays in the sweetest way possible.
He sent her a birthday gift from the great beyond, by prepaying for flowers for the next five years.
Bailey’s father arranged to send her a bouquet of flowers every year until she turned 21.
When Bailey celebrated her 21st birthday in 2017, she received the last bouquet from her father that she’d ever get. She paid tribute to her father’s gift by marking the occasion on Twitter.
“Miss you so much Daddy,” she captioned her tweet, which included a photo of a beautiful purple-hued bouquet, an old photo of Bailey with her father, and a photo of the note her father wrote that accompanied her birthday flowers.
The posthumous note from her father read, “this is my last love letter to you until we meet again. I do not want you to shed another tear for me, my baby girl, for I am in a better place.”
“You are and always will be the most precious jewel I was given,” Michael wrote. “It’s your 21st birthday and I want you to always respect your momma and stay true to yourself.” He included guidance on how to live well, telling Bailey, “be happy and live life to the fullest.”
“I will still be with you through every milestone,” Michael wrote. “Just look around and I’ll be there.”
According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3% of all cancers in the US and about 7% of all cancer deaths. It’s a slightly more common form of cancer for men than for women.
His words were a balm to Bailey, who fully appreciated the depth of her father’s gesture. Losing a parent is never easy, but knowing that their memory lives on is a gift of its own kind.
“I got so many chills, I cried my eyes out. I couldn’t even finish the letter,” Bailey told Good Morning Britain.
Even after Bailey’s father lost his life to pancreatic cancer, he made sure to be there for her in the future by sending birthday flowers.
The power of her father’s love and memory captured the internet’s attention. Bailey’s post of her birthday flowers received 1.2 million likes on Twitter. Bailey said that she was “completely shocked” by the overwhelming reaction she received to her post.
“I’ve posted my flowers every year since I was 17, and maybe got 10 likes. That’s what I was expecting this year. And I woke up Saturday morning to 300,000 likes. My phone was completely frozen, it was wild. I couldn’t contain my excitement.”
Every birthday since she was 16 has been a reminder to Bailey of her father’s passing. She was asked by the Good Morning Britain anchor whether she’d thought about how she would mark her upcoming 22nd birthday since she won’t receive a bouquet from her father.
Bailey answered, “Honestly, that letter made it to where it’s fine if I don’t get flowers on my 22nd, or 23rd, or for the rest of my life.” However, Bailey does have plans to celebrate herself and her father’s memory for future birthdays.
“I probably will buy flowers and put a white rose in the bouquet that represents my dad from here on out, for myself.” Bailey’s story is a testament to the power of a parent’s love and shows that her father’s love and care for her didn’t end when he left this world.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.