Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Some things just can’t be forgotten, no matter how hard you try, no matter how old you get. Like knowing how to ride a bike. Or a random act of kindness so sweet that it leaves an indelible mark on your heart, forever.

Twitter user Mevan Babakar recently asked for the internet’s help in finding the good samaritan from her past who gave her a bicycle as a gift when she was 5 years old and living in a refugee camp. Not only did the internet dig up the kind-hearted man’s name, but Mevan also met up with him once again in just 36 hours! We love reunions that make us feel all warm inside! Scroll down to read Bored Panda’s interview with Mevan.

More info: mevanbabakar.com | Twitter

Mevan Babakar asked the internet for help in locating the man who bought her a bike when she was a child refugee

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

Mevan spent a year living in the refugee camp near Zwolle in the Netherlands

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

The woman received overwhelming support from Twitter and internet users

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

29-year-old Mevan, who according to her online profile is a huge pancake lover, told the internet a tear-jerking story from her childhood. She was born in Baghdad, Iraq, to Kurdish parents, and spent a year of her childhood as a refugee near Zwolle in the Netherlands. One day, a social worker at the camp bought Mevan a shiny new bicycle, which left such a deep impression that she never forgot about it.

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

She met up with her hero Egbert in Germany, where he lives

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

Wanting to meet the man once again to properly thank him, Mevan reached out to the internet for help. And boy, did the internet deliver! Mevan’s Twitter thread pleading for help went viral, and within a day and a half she was already meeting up with the man named Egbert — an orchid-lover who doesn’t smile in photos. The pair met in Germany where Egbert lives, and Mevan bought him a postcard with an old man riding a bicycle as a gift. We think it’s very fitting!

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MeAndVan

Mevan told Bored Panda in an interview that she “felt apprehensive and excited before meeting him [Egbert], but eventually very calm and comfortable. It was like seeing an old relative again.”

“I always knew the internet was full of incredible and lovely people and this just confirmed it for me! I am so grateful to everyone who helped me find him. It was another gift altogether!” Mevan was overjoyed with everyone’s help on the Internet search mission.

“He was so pleased to see me, and we are working on plans to see each other again,” said Mevan. She also revealed to Bored Panda that she doesn’t know the fate of her shiny red bike: “Unfortunately I have no idea what happened to it. We left the Netherlands for London and the bike had to stay behind.”

The BBC writes that Mevan and her parents ran away from Iraq during the first Gulf War. They then traveled via Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Russia to get to the refugee camp near Zwolle, where they stayed between 1994 and 1995. The family’s fortunes then took an upward turn, and eventually, they sank their roots in London. Mevan is now the head of automated fact-checking at the UK’s independent charity Full Fact, though she has now taken a sabbatical from work to “retrace her refugee journey.” All we hope is that she brought her bike with her.

Internet users were awed by Mevan’s story

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: GGovic

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: RoAntonellis

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: clancynewyork

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: Freja9

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: solusnan1

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: MHus66

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: SandyPaws

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: BirlingChristy

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

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Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: Creepergamer680

Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

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Woman Asks The Internet To Help Find A Man Who Bought Her A Bike When She Was A 5-Year-Old Refugee, The Internet Delivers

Image credits: ddale0000

Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

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I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

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