Single Mom Asks Stranger to Cheer for Her Daughter at Graduation - Little Did She Know Just What He Was About to Do

Everyone deserves a cheering squad.

It was graduation day at Desoto Central Middle School and single mom, Brandy, wanted what all parents want — for her daughter, Aria Thomas, to feel loved and celebrated.

So, the self-professed "party of one," decided to recruit a fellow parent to "holler for her baby" when Aria's time came to get her certificate.

To say he understood the assignment doesn't even come close to doing his response justice.

And thankfully for us and the 12 MILLION other people (give or take) who have watched his hilariously heartwarming reaction unfold, his wife, MJ, caught it all on camera.

TikTok of Stranger Cheering for Single Mom’s Daughter Goes Viral

MJ shared the now-viral video on her TikTok account @talkgerman2me, captioning it: "My hubby is hilarious. She don't know who she sat by."

She's about to find out...

The clip begins with MJ’s husband, aka Pop Pop, assuring Brandy, “Oh I ain't playing.” Clearly, it is GAME ON.

As Brandy turns toward MJ, MJ asks her: “You recruited him to holler for your baby?”

"Yes, I'm gonna holler," Pop Pop responds in the background (like his wife had any doubt!)

“Yeah because we’re a party of one," Brandy tells her, jokingly referring to herself as "we." "So help this single momma out and holler for my baby.”

While the two moms are chatting, Pop Pop is getting down to business warming up his vocal chords like he's a rock star about to play to a sold-out crowd.

Leaving nothing to chance, he spends the next few moments hilariously "practicing," stretching his mouth wide and making loud noises, to the point that his family begs him to "Stop it."

The Big Moment

Finally, Aria's big moment arrives. As Aria prepares to take center stage, Pop Pop excitedly whispers, "Right here." And this is when the train starts barreling out of the station and tumbling off the tracks.

While Brandy and MJ cheer, Pop Pop jumps to his feet. Despite all of the time he spent practicing, he doesn't yell. Instead, he puts his fingers to his mouth and whistles. Loudly. Not once, not twice but three times.

“I didn’t even know you could do that,” MJ tells him as he sits down. “You didn’t do that for Jade! I didn’t know you could whistle like that.” For context, Jade is their own daughter who also happened to be walking in the graduation ceremony.

The video resonated with millions, receiving more than 2M likes, 87K shares, and nearly 8K comments. TikTok viewers loved it, praising Pop Pop for his incredible response and infectious energy.

"As a single mom I absolutely love this!! I’m so glad he was all for it," one commenter wrote.

Another said, "Honestly as a kid who was embarrassed having no one but my nana at my grad, this made me so happy."

"Him practicing is hilarious 😂😂😂😂😂"

Even Brandy herself commented on the heartwarming moment, thanking the couple for showing up for her daughter.

“Listen 👂🏽 I am so appreciative! I just wanted to make sure my baby felt celebrated 🎉and y’all definitely did that! It was the energy ✨ for me!” she wrote.

For the naysayers who questioned why Pop Pop didn't whistle for his own daughter, Jade, fear not.

In a follow-up TikTok, MJ shares her husband's response to Jade's graduation moment and assures viewers that he is the "ultimate hype man" for his kids.

When Jade's name is announced, Pop Pop gets to his feet, cheering her on.

When It Comes to Raising Kids, It Really Does Take a Village

Yet, the harsh reality is that many single parents don't have one. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly a quarter of kids are being raised by a single parent. That amounts to more than 23 million kids.

And while some have large extended families and friends to help fill in the gap, many do not, including Aria Thomas.

But thanks to the kindness of a literal stranger and a mom courageous enough to ask for help (kudos to her!!), for this day at least, Aria definitely did not feel alone.

Frankly, we could all use a Pop Pop in our lives cheering us on. His amazing response is a reminder that sometimes, we all need to step up and become a part of someone else's village.

More from Goalcast:

• Teacher Thinks His Students Are Looking “Scruffy” at Their Graduation – Gives Them All Free Haircuts in School

• Teen Is Photographed Walking at 4 AM to Reach His Graduation – So a Stranger Gifts Him a Brand New Car