Canadian woman’s text to the wrong number brings a kind stranger to a family wake

A text message to a wrong number brought a kind stranger to a Canadian family’s wake, brightening up their lives on a very sad day. 

Leena Ali was just playing along when she received a text message from an unknown number asking if she was someone named ‘Quentin’. 

‘Yea, who’s this?’ she decided to respond. 

The person on the other end turned out to be a woman who identified herself as ‘Auntie Dawn’, who wanted to invite Quentin to ‘Auntie Debbie’s celebration of life’.

Dawn Burke had tried to text her nephew details about the event, which took place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, but had ended up inviting Ali instead. 

Leena Ali went to a stranger’s wake after she received a text from Dawn Burke (pictured together), who had accidentally been trying to message her nephew Quentin

Burke had tried to text her nephew details about the wake for her aunt Debbie Celar, which took place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, but had ended up inviting Ali instead

Burke had tried to text her nephew details about the wake for her aunt Debbie Celar, which took place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, but had ended up inviting Ali instead

But despite the fact that she had no idea who either Auntie Dawn or Auntie Debbie was, Ali decided she still wanted to come along.  

‘I’m just playin this isn’t Quentin,’ Ali responded. ‘U got the wrong number auntie Dawn.’ 

‘But can I come celebrate Debbie’s celebration of life with you guys?’ 

Burke was touched that Ali wanted to attend, and the Brock University student even promised she would come with a fruit bowl in hand. 

And Ali stayed true to her word, driving 30 minutes to the wake with her childhood friend Yasmin on September 21.

Ali walked into a room of 400 strangers, who were all there to celebrate the life of Debbie Celar. 

But when Ali showed Burke the fruit bowl, she was recognized immediately. 

Burke was touched that Ali wanted to attend, and the Brock University student even promised she would come with a fruit bowl in hand

Burke was touched that Ali wanted to attend, and the Brock University student even promised she would come with a fruit bowl in hand

‘She freaked out and got all excited,’ Ali told the Toronto Star. 

Ali then got to learn all about Celar, a matriarch of the huge family who left behind 13 grandchildren. 

Celar was well-respected in her Niagara Falls neighborhood and would have invited anyone into her home. 

‘When I found out that it wasn’t Quentin, I just thought “I’ve gotta go with this, because my aunt Debbie would,'” Burke said. 

‘Aunt Deb would invite these people, whoever they are, into her home. That’s just who she was.’ 

Ali met a number of Celar’s relatives, including her husband. Many told the college student that she reminded them of their beloved family member.

The event was truly a celebration of Celar’s life – one of the reasons Ali had been intrigued to attend in the first place. 

‘I never knew this was a thing,’ she said. ‘I thought it was just funerals.’ 

Ali tweeted about the sweet meeting on Twitter, and Burke replied she had 'brightened' their sad weekend 

Ali tweeted about the sweet meeting on Twitter, and Burke replied she had ‘brightened’ their sad weekend 

After the event, Ali snapped a picture with Burke and decided to post their photo and text exchange on Twitter. 

‘I pulled through for auntie Debbie,’ she captioned the tweet, which quickly went viral. 

The post has since received more than 5,000 likes and more than 1,000 retweets, which shocked Ali and her friends. 

‘This is something I would have done any day of the week,’ she said. 

‘Even my friends know I’m just a person who does this, they were shocked that it got so much attention because they’re so used to it.’ 

Among the numerous replies was Burke herself, who told Ali she was glad the college student had showed up and ‘with a fruit bowl to boot!’ 

‘My family hasn’t stopped talking about that all weekend long,’ she wrote. 

‘They are telling everyone about this story! You are a truly amazing woman. You have brightened our weekend that’s for sure.’   

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk