The holidays are marketed as a joyous time, but that’s not the case for millions of people around the world. For some, the holidays are financially challenging. Others are feeling the effects of end-of-year burnout, and some are grappling with dysfunctional family dynamics. Others are celebrating their first Christmases without loved ones.
Phillip Willett celebrated Christmas without his father, John Willett, and his mother without her husband. But the content creator did something special to help fill the void just a little bit.
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Phillip said it had been a long time since his family had heard his father's voice.
Phillip wrote that his father died from pancreatic cancer about a year and a half ago. As such, it’s been so long since his family has heard his voice. This year, Phillip decided to do something special for his mom. He made a video for her using AI software to match his late father’s voice perfectly.
Judging by his mother’s reaction, it turned out pretty well.
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The very first words from the card caused Phillip's mom to get emotional.
Phillip shared the sentimental moment in a TikTok video that has since garnered over 6 million views. In it, we watch his mom sit down in front of the Christmas tree to open a gift. As she pulls the paper out of the gift bag and unwraps a box, we see it’s a book or card of some sort. When she opens it, the first words, “Hi Honey,” cause her to get emotional.
'I’m always with you, honey,' John Willett said in the message.
The message continues: “I love ya. I hear your prayers. I want you to know you are the best mother to our kids. You are the strongest woman in the whole world. I’m always with you, honey. And um I hope you guys have a merry Christmas.”
Others now want to give similar gifts to their own loved ones.
As the message ends, Phillip’s mom stands up to hug and thank him for the thoughtful gift. Judging by the number of times the video has been seen and the comments from fellow TikTok users, she wasn’t the only one who was moved.
“Ah yes,” one user wrote. “Another TikTok where I sob for people I’ve never met.”
Others who are also missing loved ones asked Phillip how he managed to pull this off. He shared that the program he used is called ElevenLabs, an artificial intelligence software.
Phillip acknowledged that it took a lot of work to get the voice in the card to sound realistic. He shared that he plans on making a tutorial on the process soon.
