Student Gives Adorable Birthday Gifts To Grieving Friends Who've Both Lost A Parent

'The world needs more people like you.'

Vanessa Mendoza and Norma Bates have both had a tough couple of years, having both lost one of their parents.

In May 2015, Bates’ mum died from cancer while in March 2016, Mendoza’s dad died of a stroke.

Their friend, 21-year-old student Heidi Paat, wanted to do something special for both of their birthdays, so she created them personalised gifts in memory of their parents.

Paat bought each of her friends a build-a-bear that played a voice recording of their late parents when squeezed.

Both of my best friends lost their parents over the past two years so I got them a bear with their parents' voice recordings on it 💓 pic.twitter.com/4UgD6wnqUE

— heidi (@_Heidi10) March 23, 2017

The thoughtful gesture left both of the birthday girls in tears and struck a chord with a lot of people on Twitter.

The video of the pair opening their presents has been liked more than 64,000 times, with hundreds of people commenting to say they were touched.

@_Heidi10 I'm crying. Your guys' friendship is so beautiful 💗

— Melissa Cardenas (@M_amazinggrace) March 23, 2017

@_Heidi10 This is the most incredible, thoughtful, wonderful idea. The world needs more people like you.

— Ash (@aaashbash) March 24, 2017

@_Heidi10 @Sj_xcv I really just cried to this. You're such a good friend and beautiful soul 🌸

— Cristina Varela 🦋 (@CristyCaat_) March 24, 2017

In a later tweet, Paat explained that she found a video of Mendoza’s father on Facebook and asked Bates’ sister for a recording of her mum to make the gifts.

When times are tough, we all need friends like this.

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