'I Could Die Happy': Community Raises $50,000 For Widowed Traffic Cop A traffic cop based in Detroit was featured in a TikTok that's been viewed over 10.8 million times.
By Emily Rella
A traffic cop who went viral on social media after receiving a donation from TikToker Zachery Dereniowski has earned an extra $50,000, thanks to a GoFundMe page created following the video's success.
It all began when a traffic cop in Detroit named Edge was featured on Dereniowski's popular TikTok page, where she was gifted tickets to the Detroit Tigers baseball game after speaking to her supervisor about letting her off early to enjoy the game.
@mdmotivator "Happy Mother's Day" (GoFundMe 1N B10) ?❤️ #tigers #mom #mothersday #love #detroit #baseball #kindness #money ♬ original sound - Zachery Dereniowski
Edge was excited after finding out she was going to the game and quickly became emotional when Dereniowski gifted her an additional $500, bursting into tears and offering a hug while saying, "I love you!"
"I was just telling my son, 'Son, we're going to have to put it together,'" she said through tears. "And I tell them, we're just going to have to pray. Oh, Thank you, Jesus!"
The clip, which has received over two million likes and 10.8 million views on the platform, inspired Dereniowski to start a GoFundMe page to help her even more.
"Edge is a mother of two who recently lost her husband and the sole provider for her family," he explained on the page. "Edge is a full-time traffic controller in the Metro Detroit area, and most importantly, she loves her job because, hopefully, by the video, you can tell she loves people."
Dereniowski set the goal for the fundraiser at $50,000, and as of Friday afternoon, the page had raised $57,115 from 188 people.
"What a beautiful soul. Kind people are my kind of people," one person wrote. "Bless you, Edge. I hope my small donation, along with many others, can bring about a big and wonderful change in your life."
A follow-up TIkTok shows Edge the moment she received the $50,000.
"I could die happy," she says before receiving the check and falling to her knees, praising God and hysterically crying.
@mdmotivator $50,000 for single mom ?❤️ #mother #baseball #detroit #kindness #money ♬ original sound - Zachery Dereniowski
"Something about watching other people be randomly blessed makes me feel like I won at life," someone penned.
Edge's GoFundMe page is still open for donations.
