An incredible act of kindness has changed the life of 88-year-old US Army veteran Ed Bambas, after strangers from around the world raised more than $2 million to help him finally retire, after he lost his pension.

Bambas works full-time as a supermarket cashier in Brighton, Michigan, putting in 40 hours a week to cover his living costs.

His story went viral after he shared that he lost his pension 13 years ago, leaving him without the financial security he once had.

Australian influencer Samuel Weidenhofer approached Bambas at work and posted their conversation online, with the video quickly spreading across social media, prompting thousands of people to donate.

“I retired from General Motors in ’99. In 2012, they went bankrupt and they took my pension away from me,” Bambas told Weidenhofer.

He said he had been enjoying a stable retirement until then, with a home, savings and good health, but everything changed when his wife, Joan, became seriously ill.

“The thing that hurt me the most was when my wife was really sick and when they took the pension, they also took the healthcare coverage and all but $10,000 of my life insurance,” he said, becoming emotional.

With mounting medical bills, Bambas had to sell his home and property “just to make it through.” His wife of more than 50 years died seven years ago, and the financial impact continued to affect him.

“Once my wife died, I didn’t have enough income to pay for this place or all the other bills I had accumulated because of my wife’s illness,” he told local radio station WXYZ.

Despite this, he said returning to work didn’t feel like a burden.

“It wasn’t hard for me to do it because I knew I had to do it. I’m fortunate God gave me a good enough body to be strong enough to stand there for eight, eight and a half hours a day.”

Before launching the fundraiser, Weidenhofer tipped Bambas $400.

Donations have since poured in from around the world, including a $10,000 contribution under the name “William Ackman,” matching billionaire Bill Ackman’s name, though this has not been confirmed. By Friday morning, the fundraiser had over $2 million AUD.

Singers Charlie Puth and Russell Dickerson also helped spread the story, with Puth writing, “I also donated to you sir.”

On GoFundMe, Weidenhofer described Bambas as a man of “quiet dignity, strength, and perseverance” and said he hoped the funds would give him comfort, stability and a retirement free from worry.

Weidenhofer has not told Bambas the final amount yet, saying he wants to reveal the news once the fundraiser closes and arrangements are made to safely manage the money.

The video has now been viewed more than 5 million times on TikTok and has received hundreds of thousands of likes on Instagram. Bambas, however, hasn’t seen any of it.

“I’ve never been on those programs. I don’t own one of those fancy cellphones. In fact, I still have a flip phone just to talk to people,” he said.

For now, he continues his shifts at the supermarket, unaware that a global community has come together to ensure he can enjoy the peaceful retirement.

Image: Instagram