A high-school graduate had one final goodbye to make before heading off for his first day of college.
Benjamin Szram, 18, was preparing to leave for Loyola University Chicago when his mom, Kathy, had told him she had a surprise.
Benjamin, who will be studying biology with hopes of becoming a dermatologist, told Newsweek he was confused at first, having just woken up at around 6 a.m.
What he saw next brought him to tears. As he rounded the corner to the upstairs hallway, Benjamin could see his mom had lined up all his childhood toys as if they had come to say goodbye.
“My reaction to seeing all my toys was just straight tears,” Benjamin said. “I had forgotten them some of them even existed, and just seeing them brought so many memories back.”
Pictures of Benjamin as a baby were also pinned up on the wall, and notes saying things such as “We love you” and “Good luck at college” were by some of the toys’ feet.
Benjamin posted the surprise in a clip on TikTok (@benio0829) captioned: “One of the hardest goodbyes.”
Leaving home for the freshman is bittersweet. “I definitely was scared at first,” Benjamin said. “It’s a new, big change, but I have comfort in knowing my mom’s a phone call away.”
Higher Ed Dive says that spring 2025 saw a strong rebound in college enrollment, with a 3.2 percent increase year-over-year—about 562,000 new enrollees—bringing total postsecondary enrollment to roughly 18.4 million students nearing pre-pandemic levels.
When asked about the caption, Benjamin said: “It’s one of my hardest goodbyes as my mom is all I’ve ever had. It’s always been just her and me. That’s what makes our relationship so much more than just mother and son—she’s my best friend.”
The heartwarming clip has gone completely viral in a matter of days, amassing over 53.6 million views and a further 14.7 million likes.
Hundreds of thousands of users commented on the clip, including popular children’s toy brands and TV shows.
“Remember she’ll always be there for you, even if you can’t see her,” the TikTok account for “Bluey” wrote.
“Protect this woman at all costs,” Build-A-Bear added.
The official account for Instagram even commented: “Is it too late to take them with you?”
Many other TikTok users were in tears over the mom’s kindness.
“As a mom of a soon to be kindergartner, I am BAWLING,” one user posted.
Referring to 1995’s Disney movie Toy Story, another user wrote: “It’s like Andy all over again.”
“It’s not just her setting this up for you. It’s the years of saving these toys cuz she couldn’t stand to get rid of them. Keeping them all safe. THEN loving you enough to set this up. Sooo sweet. Mama is so proud of you but I just know her heart hurts watching you leave too,” a third user commented.
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