Man, 83, in Tears After He Surprises 22-Month-Old Neighbor for First Day of Preschool Sendoff (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Brenda Brister and her husband Albert “Buddy” Brister with Kate Clark.Photo:Megan Clark

Megan Clark

As Megan Clark and her husband Riley Harrison Clark prepared to take her 22-month-old daughter, Kate, to her first day of school, they noticed their neighbors standing in their driveway.

Every day, Megan says Kate calls the couple and asks to visit their house. Brenda and Buddy regularly text Megan to check on Kate and the rest of the family, and Megan has hundreds of videos and photos of their time together saved on her phone.

“Buddy is a Vietnam vet with a tough exterior, but he’s incredibly gentle with Kate,” Megan, 32, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “He goes to Walmart every single day and gets her something special almost every time. Their house is stocked with all her favorite snacks and shows. It’s really heartwarming.”

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Kate Clark with Albert “Buddy” Brister on first day of school.Megan Clark

When Megan first told Brenda and Buddy that Kate would be starting school in the fall, Buddy was “torn up,” she says.

“He said, ‘You can’t send her to school. We’ll just keep her. How many days is she going to go?’ " Megan recalls. “I told him she would only go on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He replied, ‘We can keep her. We’ll just schedule our doctor’s appointments on different days.’ "

On the first day of school, Brenda came over to see Kate off, and Buddy followed shortly after, tears in his eyes. Megan captured the touching moment on camera and later posted it to her TikTok account, where it has since garnered more than 1 million views.

Buddy told Kate, “Buddy loves you, and save me a seat at lunch. I’ll come sit with you.” The school is just down the street from their house, and Buddy even drove there at lunchtime, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kate on the playground.

To help with Kate’s transition, Megan promised her that if she did well at school, they would visit Brenda and Buddy afterward as a “reward.”

“Brenda and Buddy see Kate every single day,” Megan says. “If they don’t, they ask if we can bring her over. Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming, but it’s fun. They’re a lot of fun.”

Megan Clark showing Albert “Buddy” Brister and Brenda Brister her daughter Kate after she was born in 2022.Megan Clark

Megan hasn’t had the chance to tell Buddy and Brenda about the TikTok yet. While the couple isn’t super into social media, Megan thinks they’ll be amazed to know how many people love Buddy.

source: people.com