André Williams has given his mother a gift that far exceeds her expectations. The 32-year-old Microsoft program manager attributes his strong work ethic to his mother, Tracy Gathers-Williams, stating that he has been highly affected by his mother’s perseverance and hard work throughout her life.
Williams chose to pay off her mortgage as a token of his gratitude. He told People, “My mom has worked extremely hard, and I felt this would be the most meaningful gift I could give her. I’ve reached a level in my career where I’m proud and able to bless others. What better way to do that than to relieve her of her biggest expense?”
Keeping his plan a secret, he brilliantly requested his mother, who lives in South Carolina with André’s sister, father, and nephew, for a copy of her mortgage statement, saying he wanted it to compare with his own.
In December 2023, months after he had originally requested the statement, she eventually sent it to him. He estimated that the payment would be completed by September this year after calculating how long it would take.
However, the process was riddled with challenges. Williams recounted, “So much happened in the meantime—my car got stolen, my house got robbed and I moved to Houston. I own a home in Atlanta and had to evict a tenant right after I moved. I was juggling my mortgage in Atlanta and rent in Houston. Despite everything going on, I kept my goal in mind. I had to make it happen.”
For 9 months, he persevered, expecting to make it home to his 54-year-old mother in September to give her the check. However, when the time came, Hurricane Helene stood in his way.
So, he decided to go to the bank to pay off the loan. Afterward, he contacted his sister and finally told her what he was doing before requesting her to record their mom’s response to her mortgage being paid off.
He expected tears from her, still, the relief that filled her face was okay for him. His family members were also grateful for the gift.
He commented, “I felt like she was so free. It’s hard to describe, but I saw a release of stress and energy. She’s been making payments on something for 20 years, and now she doesn’t have to worry about it anymore. I didn’t fully appreciate how monumental that would feel for her until after the fact. Especially in the Black community, being able to pass down a home is significant.”
“When I watched it, I was so happy for her to say, ‘Yes, I own my home. It’s mine. I have the deed and the title. It belongs to me.’ Not many people get to say that, and I’m so proud that I was able to give that to my mom.”
His video has since gone viral, generating over 1 million views and many supportive comments from netizens.
André declared, “There are so many things I could have done with that money. but nothing would have been as meaningful as this gift for both myself and my mom.”
