Tommy was just a guy living a completely normal life for someone in his early 20s. He was in school, had a job as a real estate agent, and was a gifted athlete, but one day, everything changed! It all started with a shocking message he got on social media, and this message would turn his life upside down and end up making him one of the youngest grandfathers in the world… and all this in just a few months! Read more to find out about the events that would lead Tommy to become the world’s youngest grandpa – this extraordinary story will leave you speechless!
Just an Ordinary Student
In many aspects of his life, Tommy Connolly was the same as any other 23-year-old. He had a part-time job working as a real estate agent, while he was studying at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, and his life was filled with a lot of great friends and family.
It was all going great, until one day he received a message on social media that would change his life. After this day, his world would never be the same again. However, none of it was enough to stop our determined Tommy.
Not Your Ordinary Athlete
Besides studying, and leading a rich social life, Tommy also excelled as an athlete. He was brilliant in track and field and showed so much promise that his coaches were grooming him for international competitions.
Tommy’s hard work and dedication were already paying off at regional level competitions and he was expected to continue down this successful road. But life had other plans that nobody could anticipate, and his athletic career would have to wait.
Free Time
In his free time, Tommy enjoys doing various outdoor activities such as hiking, white water rafting, and rock climbing. He also worked at part-time jobs, and he spent summer holidays, when there was no school, working hard and saving up money.
At 23, Tommy took advantage of all the possibilities Australia could offer. He was always full of energy, and he would soon need it to raise a grandson. But how will it come to that? Read further and find out.
Ambitions to Start His Own Business
In school, Tommy studied business and economics and he had plans to one day have his own business. Unlike others his age, he knew how to manage his money and successfully saved up a decent amount. But there was more…
Tommy was driven, pushing himself towards his goal both academically and physically. His dedication was truly inspiring. There aren’t a lot of 23-year-olds who could achieve all that he did. However, his journey was just beginning and it wouldn’t be an easy one.
Romantic Life
They say that behind every successful person, there is someone special, supporting them in their dreams. For Tommy, along with his family, that someone was his girlfriend, Olivia Tauro. She was truly supportive of both his athletic and his business ambitions.
They were friends since childhood, from when they were eight years old. She even encouraged him to travel abroad in the quest to achieve his goals. Later, she will be there for him during the dramatic events that were about to shake Tommy’s world.
The Message That Started It All
One day, unexpectedly, Tommy got a message on Facebook. It was from a cousin he hasn’t been in touch with since her family moved away to a town called Southport. They haven’t been in contact for practically a decade, but what she told him was even more startling than her sudden reappearance.
Growing up together, they used to be very close. Tommy expressed his fondness for his cousin, “I was really excited to hear from her because I’ve always had a soft spot for her.” He also said, “She was my favorite little cousin, she was the sweetest girl and we got along so well.”
A Cousin in Dire Need of Help
Tommy’s cousin, Kiarna, was only 16 when she got in touch with Tommy. He was thrilled to hear from her and find out what’s been happening in her life. However, after just a couple of messages, he started to realize something was wrong!
It turned out Kiarna has had a very difficult life and since the last time they were together, she’s had to fight to survive. Tommy described her situation at the time, “She was homeless, no shoes, no phone, with less than a backpack full of clothes”. What’s worse, it wasn’t just her who was in peril.
Kiarna’s Troubling Story
Tommy couldn’t believe it when he heard what his cousin has been through. She told him trouble at home led to her ending up living on the streets by herself. She was left with nothing and was forced to sleep outside in the Gold Coast area.
She even had to resort to crime just to stay alive and was in trouble with the law several times. She even started using illegal drugs as a way of coping, but luckily, at least she managed to stop completely. She was in a very difficult situation, and neither she nor Tommy could have foreseen how it will all change soon.
A Teen in Trouble
Kiarna was in serious trouble. Since her boyfriend ended up in jail, she was left completely alone to fend for herself. Being homeless and a minor, her future seemed bleak. Kids in her situation didn’t often manage to survive.
Tommy shared on his Facebook profile, “Life dealt Kiarna a poor hand, and she’s had to play it best she could.” His account of the tragic story continued, “She’s spent more time on the streets than anywhere else, and knows the police better than she knows her own family.” Luckily, things will soon turn for the better, as something wonderful was about to happen.
Coming to the Rescue
Hearing about Kiarna’s situation destroyed Tommy. Besides pain, he also felt guilty for not being there for her, not knowing she needed help. Right away, he knew he had to do something, regardless of the impact it could have on his life.
Without hesitation, Tommy sprung to action. “She didn’t ask me if she could stay with me but I had that day off work so I drove down to the Gold Coast straight away and picked her up,” Tommy would later recount the events. “I took her to lunch and she told me her story,” he then added.
Kiara’s Tale
Tommy said the tale of her life shook him up more than he could ever imagine. “It made me want to do whatever it took to help her. It made any problems I ever had seemed irrelevant because the life she has had is so intense. My focus just immediately turned to her.”
Tommy originally believed their meeting would be a happy occasion, but that soon proved not to be the case. He described the encounter, “I went and picked her up and she basically started telling me about her situation, which was hard for me to hear because she was my favorite little cousin when I was growing up.”
Sanctuary
Without a second thought, Tommy invited his cousin to stay at his place. He decided then and there to help Kiarna in any way humanly possible. Despite trying to work and study at the same time, he was determined to make sure it works.
When he met with her, Kiarna was abandoned and illiterate. Tommy vowed to change this. The next step he took astounded everyone around him, but there was something Tommy didn’t know. Kiarna kept something hidden from him, something she was too scared to share.
The Big Change
Kiarna spent most of her life going in and out of foster care before ending up on the streets. It was a really rough life and Tommy decided he would put a stop to all this. He offered Kiara to become her guardian permanently.
Tommy was devoted to making sure Kiarna now got everything she deserved, to making up for everything that was taken away. He would ensure she was safe, healthy and got back on track with her education.
Kiarna’s Secret
Kiarna was keeping something from Tommy. She was 23 weeks pregnant and she was scared that Tommy would be reluctant to help her if he knew. However, if you ask Tommy, family is family, and he would never abandon his cousin.
Other people would perhaps just offer support from afar, try and find a shelter to take her in, but not Tommy. He was going to help her himself, get personally involved and do whatever it took. He didn’t care about any personal sacrifices he would have to make. Still, he was yet to find out how far-reaching the consequences of this decision would be.
More Problems
While it did catch him off guard, discovering Kiarna was pregnant didn’t change his plans to become a permanent guardian to his cousin. Now it was no longer just about her, but her unborn child’s future too.
Kiarna said child services had been following her and already told her they would take her child away once it was born. The fact that she wouldn’t be able to keep her baby tormented Kiarna throughout her pregnancy.
Second Chances
“Since carrying this gorgeous boy, all of my friends kept telling me that he would be taken away from me,” Kiarna spoke about her fears. “This made my pregnancy very difficult. All I wanted was to give this little man a better life than I had – a second chance was all I wanted,” she would later say.
However, if she hoped to provide a better life for her child, she would have to fight for it. There was a difficult road ahead of her, but now, fortunately, she was no longer alone. Tommy was there for her.
Race Against Time
Since the baby was coming soon, Tommy was racing the clock in his attempt to become Kiarna’s legal guardian. But getting all the documents and overcoming every obstacle was no easy feat.
When he first tried to apply, he was informed that he didn’t qualify to become a foster parent. Both he and his cousin were devastated to hear this, and afraid for the fate of Kiarna’s baby boy. But they were not about to give up that easily.
Anything to Make It Happen
Tommy got legal advice and found out there was a way around the roadblocks. He then did everything he possibly could to make sure they succeeded. He even spent his life savings on a bigger rented apartment for the two of them.
He also gave up training for his track and field competitions. “Everyone likes to tell me this is such a big responsibility, but I wasn’t thinking about uni or work or anything, all I was doing was thinking that she needed me,” Tommy spoke about the experience.
Getting Ready
“I’ve spent the last few months working, moving houses, having meetings with different departments, signing forms, being assessed and monitored, chasing funds, setting up her bank accounts, buying baby stuff, furniture, going to hospital and doctor appointments and getting [her] settled in,” Tommy recalled what they went through. And this wasn’t all.
Tommy started teaching Kiarna himself, starting with important life skills, such as reading and writing and even driving. Thanks to him, she managed to pass the driving test and get a learner’s permit. Things were looking up.
Congratulations! You’re a Dad
After making sure he introduced significant improvements to their lives, he applied for guardianship again. They prayed it would work this time. And it did! Tommy managed to become Kiarna’s legal guardian!
They were both overjoyed. Not only was Kiarna finally safe, but so was the future of her unborn baby boy. “Happy to say she has a new home, as I’ll be taking care of her from now on,” Tommy said.
How Others Reacted
Even though Tommy never doubted his decision, others around him weren’t so sure about it. Some believed he was doing more than he should have and he was jeopardizing his own future. After all, he was on the road to becoming an international athlete before all this.
However, Tommy didn’t care about any of that. As far as he was concerned, family was more important than anything. Helping his cousin took a toll on his studies, and he was still working, but his conviction and his decision to do the right thing never wavered.
Getting Ready for The Big Day
Kiarna’s due date was approaching, but now her life was drastically different than it was just a few months ago. She had a home, clothes, a driver’s license, and she even had new braces now.
But Tommy had one more surprise for her! He got her a kitten, which is something she’s always wanted. As the big day was getting closer, Tommy and Kiarna were ready, or at least as ready as they could be. But they could never have anticipated how strong the love they’d feel for the new baby would be.
When the Time Came
Kiarna’s baby was born just two months after Tommy became Kiarna’s guardian. She had a beautiful, healthy baby on March 16th. While she was giving birth, Tommy was in the hospital waiting room. Even then, he was working on a college assignment at the same time.
He also filmed the birth, cut the umbilical cord and then managed to make it to class the next day and give a presentation he had to prepare. Kiarna named her son Kayden and Tommy was now, officially, legally, a 23-year-old grandfather.
A True Family
When Kayden was brought home, everyone helped with the youngest addition to the family, including Tommy’s girlfriend. All of them together became, a truly happy family. Even if they were an atypical one, they didn’t care what others thought of them or their circumstances.
“She’s the toughest girl I know!” Tommy said about Kiarna. “All she wants is for him to have a better life than she’s had. There’s still a long way to go, but things are on track and she has the opportunity she deserves. When bad things happen, it’s your family that supports you,”
A New Lease on Life
Kiarna and Kayden are now enjoying their new chance for happiness, living with Tommy, as a family. Even their local community joined in to help out after learning about their story. Someone even started a GoFundMe page for them and many people contributed to it.
“Christmas came early for Kiarna today,” Tommy wrote on his social media. “She received funding for the first time, she’s moved into a house to get us a brand new fridge, washing machine, dryer, TV unit and some things for the kitchen. We are very lucky. Been a while since we’ve been able to wash our clothes properly!”
A Career in Real Estate
Besides attending school, Tommy works as a real estate agent, all while helping raise his grandson. “My cousin does 90 percent of the work – and if it’s one or two years of my life I have to put on hold to make sure two lives are going to be saved, it’s nothing at all,” he talks about his choices.
Still, Tommy didn’t give up on his dreams. While working in real estate, Tommy continued making plans for the future. He still had ambitions to start his own business, and in the end, he achieved that, too. But at this point, is it any surprise that this decisive and dedicated young man, who doesn’t believe in the word ‘no’ would manage to succeed in anything he set his mind to, even while trying to raise a family at the same time?
A Young Man Who Doesn’t Believe in “Can’t”
Tommy did eventually start his own real estate company called UN Real Estate, and he did so after his old boss said he couldn’t. He said Tommy was too young and too inexperienced, and that it would never work.
Tommy accepted the challenge, and he made sure to prove his old boss wrong. And, seeing doubt as motivation, he soon managed to do just that. After, he gave the old man some words of advice back: “Never tell somebody they CAN’T do something.”
UN Real Estate
When asked about the name of the company, Tommy said he chose UN Real Estate, not as an idea that the company was “unreal,” but rather that the people there were un-agents. “We are NOT stereotypical real estate agents. We are real people,” Tommy said.
He says the brand represents real people and not “sleazy manipulative pushy rude cheesy salesmen” as puts it. The company’s motto is “We don’t wear ties, we don’t tell lies.” But this was not the only change in his life.
Tommy’s Creed
Tommy still can’t believe their story went viral. “Why did the post go viral? It was family helping family. That should always be a standard thing. Since then, we’ve had so many random acts of kindness from people we don’t even know.”
This belief is why Tommy is asking others to pay it forward, to do a random act of kindness for someone else, in the hopes it will catch on. Tommy doesn’t believe social media can make a difference, but he has faith small gestures of kindness can change the world.
The Bigger Picture
“They say the best gifts in life come badly wrapped. When he was born, it all started to make sense. I lost some friends and family along the way…They never saw the bigger picture. All I wanted was to keep this boy safe and happy.”
“I’d pick him every day of the week, 365 days of the year. I may not be your real dad, but I’m your family and I’ll always be here for you. I haven’t seen my real dad for over 13 years. I learned that a father is what a father does…” Tommy wrote.
Happy Birthday Grandson
“Family is what family does. Happy birthday to the happiest boy in Queensland, the best looking boy in the family, the best anti-depressant that money couldn’t buy, and the future world champion in whatever he chooses to do. I love you kid,” Tommy posted.
Kiarna and her son now have their own place and have even reconnected with her formerly estranged family. Today, they’re all part of Kayden’s life, ensuring he gets the best possible childhood he could have.
Living Life to the Fullest
Both Kiarna and Kayden are doing great now and getting the most out of life. Kiarna got her high school diploma and then a job, and now she’s able to support her son and take care of him herself.
