After Thieves Stole His Piggy Bank, People Sent Special Coins And Bills To This Canadian Boy

    He now has a whole new bank of memories.

    Craig Silverman
    by Craig Silverman

    BuzzFeed Founding Editor, Canada

    After their house was robbed, Linda Saunders posted a heartbreaking photo of her son, Jackson, to Facebook. His piggy bank was stolen, and he was devastated. It was filled with bills and mementos from special occasions. He called it his "memory bank."

    facebook.com

    "This is the face of the 6 year-old [whose] piggy bank you stole," Saunders wrote.

    She asked people on Prince Edward Island to keep an eye out for Jackson's bills.

    "All the money has the year and occasion when it was gifted [written on it]," she said, offering to pay to get the bills back.

    Saunders encouraged friends to share her post and spread the word.

    Over the ensuing weeks, the post was shared over 2,000 times. "We started receiving notes, coins, and foreign bills, just days following the robbery," Saunders tells BuzzFeed Canada. "We still do not know how individuals got them to us."

    Linda Saunders

    Some people sent bills they found that might belong to Jackson.

    "I never thought we would have complete strangers contacting us when they found a bill written on, or hundreds of kind messages to Jackson," Saunders says.

    "Without us knowing, a military man in New Brunswick, Shamus Benard, started collecting coins for Jackson. He wanted each coin to represent a kind person who was thinking of him." Jackson now has coins from all over the world.

    Linda Saunders

    A server at a local restaurant also sent an item to Jackson. "We in turn tracked her down and Jackson delivered a thank you card to her place of work," Saunders says. "When Jackson handed her the card, and said 'thank you,' she started to cry and asked for a hug."

    Linda Saunders
    Linda Saunders

    Jackson is writing thank you cards to everyone who sent him something for his new memory bank.

    His favourite item so far is the "Headquarters Squadron" medallion sent by Corp. Fowler-Pasch from CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick.

    Linda Saunders

    "Many items are from service men and women," Saunders said.

    As a result the family will be making a donation to a military cause.

    "This collection represents so many things to Jackson. Mainly, that there are so many kind, thoughtful, amazing people in Canada and around the world. Jackson was very thankful and touched by this experience."

    Linda Saunders

    Here's Jackson before and after. Good job, thoughtful strangers!

    Linda Saunders
    Linda Saunders