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Aug 12, 2019

Hi internet, this is a longshot BUT I was a refugee for 5 yrs in the 90s and this man, who worked at a refugee camp near Zwolle in the Netherlands, out of the kindness of his own heart bought me a bike. My five year old heart exploded with joy. I just want to know his name. Help?

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9:43 AM · Aug 13, 2019

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Not only did I find him, but I've also had other refugees reach out to me and tell me that him and his wife helped them too! Their kindness has touched so many lives. One woman said "they weren't friends to me, they were family"

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Here's why I'm doing all of this... FYI we filmed this within 2 hours of the original tweet

#internetz twitter.com/De_Stentor/sta…

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AND someone else who worked at the camp got in touch, Sandra, she was incredible too, she helped me use a computer for the first time! I now work in tech! More so than anything I remember these small kindnesses growing up, they helped shape me.

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Aug 12, 2019

For those wondering here what five year old Mevan looked like. This was my fifth birthday in the refugee camp in Zwolle. She doesn't even know that an incredible bike is coming her way aaaany day now!

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Later today, 24 years later, I get to meet him in person! 😍 Thank you to everyone who made that possible, to every single person who RT'd and to those who sent messages. Special thanks to

@Janske1

@Arjen78

@ds_Zwolle

. I will update this thread with how it goes! WISH ME LUCK!

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I mean, at this point a rainbow on my way to see him just feels completely ordinary. Why not. Our car is being lifted by doves btw.

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This is Egbert. He's been helping refugees since the 90s. He was so happy to see me. He was proud that I'd become a strong and brave woman. He said that was his wish for me when I was small. He grows orchids. He has a beautiful family. He said it felt like I'd never left.

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He thought the bike was too small a gesture to make such a big fuss about but he's really glad that it was the key to bringing us together again. He says he doesn't smile in photos so we took a serious one together instead.

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Thank you for joining me on this crazy 36 hour (!) journey. We are now coming to it's end. I am completely blown away by the love I have received online. The internet is what we make it. And finally...

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Small actions can have big consequences. The kindness that Egbert and his family showed me will stay with me for a lifetime, and it continues to shape me as a person. That's the magical thing about kindness, it doesn't cost anything and it changes the world one person at a time.

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Aug 15, 2019

A final photo, with a rare smile! Photo credit goes to

@Arjen78

. One for the mantlepiece, I think.

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Eileen Clancy

@clancynewyork

Mevan, my heart is full. 😍Why is your story meaningful to me? One can feel helpless reading news of all the refugees struggling. It's rare that we learn of, not only a positive outcome for an individual, but also proof how one act of kindness resonates thru the lives of others.

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