In a surprising twist of fate, Tim King, a man from Lombard, Illinois, recently discovered a long-forgotten Christmas gift hidden inside the walls of his childhood home while doing some renovation work. The gift, which dates back to 1978, has now become an internet sensation after King shared a video of the shocking discovery on social media. The video quickly went viral, with over 51,000 likes on Instagram.
A Christmas Surprise Hidden in the Walls
King, who owns T.King Construction Services, was helping his parents renovate their property when the unexpected discovery occurred. As he was working on the bathroom area, King decided to check behind the medicine cabinet before adding new drywall. To his surprise, he found a box wrapped in festive paper. When he peeled off the wrapping, King uncovered a Matchbox Thunder Jets toy set, a gift he had received more than four decades ago.
In the video he posted on December 27, King showed the wrapped box, with his name still visible on it. In a follow-up video that day, King shared the moment he opened the gift, revealing the Matchbox Thunder Jets set that had remained untouched for years.
A Gift From the Past
Speaking with PEOPLE, King explained that he had been helping his parents with the renovation project when he stumbled upon the surprise. According to him, the discovery occurred when the family was updating the bathroom, and he decided to check behind the medicine cabinet before putting up new drywall. That’s when the box, which had been hidden for decades, came into view.
King, who is now 53 years old, remembers that the gift was intended for him when he was a child. The present had been tucked away in the house’s attic for safekeeping, but it seems to have slipped into a crawl space over time. At the time of the original Christmas, King was just six years old.
“It was like a time capsule,” King said. “We never expected to find it, especially not in the walls.”
A Family’s Forgotten Memory
King’s mother, who was still asleep at the time of the discovery, had no memory of ever buying the Matchbox set. King explained that his parents used to hide Christmas presents in the attic to keep them a surprise, but this particular gift seemed to have slipped through the cracks and remained hidden in the walls of the home for decades.
When King shared his discovery with his mother, she was equally shocked. She had no recollection of purchasing the toy, but she did remember using the attic to store Christmas gifts in the past. The family believes that the gift must have fallen into a crawl space in the years following that Christmas and stayed there until King found it while renovating the bathroom.
A Viral Discovery
As news of King’s discovery spread, the video of the gift quickly gained traction on social media. The surprising and heartwarming find has resonated with many, leading to an outpouring of comments and likes from viewers around the world. People have been amazed by the unexpected joy of finding something so personal from the past, hidden in the walls of a home they thought they knew well.
While the discovery was truly a Christmas miracle for King and his family, it also serves as a reminder of the unexpected treasures that can sometimes be found while renovating or cleaning up old spaces. It’s not every day that a decades-old Christmas gift resurfaces, but for King, it was a perfect surprise.
A New Chapter for the Childhood Home
The renovation work at the King family home continues, and while the discovery of the Christmas gift was certainly the most surprising find, King says he’s excited about the changes taking place. The home, which holds so many childhood memories, is getting a new lease on life. And now, with the Matchbox Thunder Jets toy set safely back in his hands, King has a unique piece of history to hold onto forever.
The viral video has sparked conversations about lost memories, family traditions, and the strange surprises that can emerge when we least expect them. For King, it’s a reminder of the importance of family, the power of memory, and the joy of rediscovering the past.
(Source: newsbreak.com)
