Originally Published: 26 DEC 23 12:38 ET

By Elizabeth Worthington

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TOWSON, Maryland (WMAR) -- It's a gift more than 50 years in the making. Barbara Rieco wrote a children's book in 1972. It was based on a true story - a little girl she had met while living in Appalachia briefly. It was her first encounter with real poverty.

"The message is something that I had to learn. I came from a very middle-class family, and this really was a very surprising encounter because I got to see another side of life that I'd heard of, but never saw. It really touched me for the rest of my life."

She sent the book to tons of publishers, but never got anywhere.

"The rejections were enough for me for a lifetime," said Barbara on why she eventually gave up trying.

"I was going through school, i was in the marine corps. She was going through all this with me. She put everything that she wanted to do aside," said Barbara's husband, Jerry.

But that little girl, and the story she inspired, stuck with her for the rest of her life.

"She's been talking about this literally ever since I can remember," said Barbara's grandson Chad Cooper.

Cooper works in design and production in New York City. He's visiting his family in Baltimore County for the holidays.

Wanting to surprise her for Christmas, he took his grandmother's manuscript, and the illustrations she had done by an artist in Vietnam years ago, and turned it into reality.

"Oh my god, this is probably the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me in my entire life," Barbara says in the now-viral video of her reaction.

"My heart literally stopped. And you'll make me cry again if I start to think about it. It was the most beautiful gift I've ever gotten."

Chad had another surprise up his sleeve.

"And I said, I posted this on TikTok, we have no idea what's gonna happen. I don't really have any followers, nor am i trying to have any followers, but we'll see what happens. We'll see if maybe we can get 10 sales."

They got a lot more than that. 3 million TikTok views, and hundreds of sales later, Barbara's book, "More, More, More" is now an Amazon best seller.

Chad filmed the reactithe reaction to that news for TikTok too.on to that news for TikTok too.

"I don't know what to say, I'm speechless. I'm thrilled," Barbara says in the video.

The comments say it all: "TikTok is about to make me buy a kids book when I'm 21 and don't even have kids," said one user.

"To be seen and acknowledged for what we're passionate about is all anyone ever wants," wrote another.

"This is so sweet! We should have this at our local library. Luckily I know the person in charge of ordering books (it’s me. I’m the person)," said another.

"Other people, strangers, felt that and that's what really got me," Barbara said.

Barbara, Jerry, and Chad have been reading the comments as they come in. Barbara wants to respond to every single one. But there's thousands.

“While I’m doing this i might as well just say thank you to every single solitary comment that I got. If it was two words or a paragraph, I love you all and at least I touched hearts. And if you can do anything to move this forward, it would be an even more wonderful thing. So I thank you to everybody, Merry Christmas, and a safe Happy New Year.”

Chad wants to help other people realize their dreams too.

"I think it's really inspiring to see how many people have dreams that they want to accomplish. As a UX designer, this is all I'm thinking about night and day now, is how to solve this problem and make this happen for everybody."

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