When you ask siblings about stories from their childhood, most of them would tell you about the petty fights they had over the silliest things.
But you know that behind those arguments, the love they have for each other is unparalleled, and this story about two brothers is the perfect example.
As the older sibling, Todd Burkemper always looked out for his younger brother, Alex. The two had a six-year age gap, but that didn’t stop them from becoming the best of friends.
Todd had big dreams and worked hard all his life to achieve them. He graduated college in 2011 and landed a lucrative career as an app designer and senior software developer at Buildium.
Securing a good-paying job put him in a financially comfortable position, and within two years, Todd already had his own car and house in Wentzville, Missouri.
With the mortgage, car payment, and student loans, things got quite difficult for him for a while. But despite all that, Todd was ready to help his family out.
When Alex graduated college in 2017, Todd invited him to live with him instead of moving back in with their parents.
Alex, who also wanted to maintain his independence, agreed and went on to live with his brother.
He lived rent-free during the first six months until Todd decided that it was time to charge him rent.
However, instead of spending his brother’s monthly “rent payments,” Todd put it to better use and opened a savings account for him!
A few years later, it came time for Alex to move out and buy a home of his own. He made an offer on a residence near Todd’s, and it was accepted on May 26.
Todd thought this was the perfect time to reveal the surprise, so he invited his parents—who knew about the secret savings account—to celebrate the milestone.
When Todd announced that he had some news for Alex, their mom, Barbara, took out her phone to capture the special moment.
The elder brother then showed Alex a screenshot of a savings account balance on his phone and told him, “That’s yours.”
Alex gave him a puzzled look, clearly confused about what he just said.
Todd explained that his monthly rent payments for three years didn’t actually go to paying rent. It went into a savings account he opened for Alex.
Todd did it because he didn’t want his sibling to experience the financial struggles he had to deal with.
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“He didn’t just save your money. He put some money in, too,” Barbara added.
Todd admitted that he’d been putting $150 monthly on top of Alex’s “rent payments.” He said it was for him to use as downpayment his new house.
When Alex finally understood what it meant, he put his hand to his face to wipe away his tears.
The two brothers hugged for a long time, and according to Barbara, “there wasn’t a dry eye in the house!”
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“After posting this story on my FaceBook page that evening, and reading all of the heartwarming responses, I felt compelled to share this story of brotherly love with a wider audience,” the proud mother wrote in an email.
“The generosity shown by Todd is just one of many amazing facets of his character. We are so very humbled by the awesome human being he has grown into,” she added.
Not long after the video was shared on YouTube, Alex announced that he had bought the house!
Hercules Homes, whose estate agent was Alex’s cousin, posted a photo of the young man holding a symbolic key in his hand and posing in front of his new property. The look of pure joy on his face just shone in the picture!
Witness the heartwarming moment Alex learned of his brother’s surprise in the video below. Prepare some tissues, too, because things are about to get emotional!
Kudos to Todd for being such a great big brother, and congratulations on your new home, Alex!
