Michelle McDougal came into her nana’s life when her grandma was just 39-years-old. They had 45 more years together filled with love and laughter before her relationship with her nana ended.

She says some of her favorite moments with her nana were quiet moments where they would just sit and talk. It didn’t matter if it was in person or on the phone, they’d talk about everything.

There was never any doubt about how much her nana loved her, but she was 10 when she found out just how much she meant to her nana. That was how old Michelle was when she contracted pneumonia and almost died.

It took the care of an in-home nurse to pay for Michelle’s recovery. Her grandfather told Michelle that her precious nana worked triple shifts in a shoe shop to help pay for that nurse. He told her she would come home with her fingers bleeding from sewing so many shoes.

Michelle never confirmed the story because she knew she wouldn’t take credit for her hard work. So when nana was diagnosed with cancer, Michelle had no hesitation in doing everything she could to care for the woman that had cared for her.

Her nana fought cancer for two years, and the entire family breathed a sigh of relief when she was declared cancer free. But the celebration was short lived. Nana’s cancer returned with a vengeance and doctors said they couldn’t do anything for her.

During nana’s last days, Michelle sat with her beloved grandmother and relished in the precious, quiet moments with her. Two nights before nana died, they watched some of their favorite television shows and shared Chinese food.

When the night came to an end, and Michelle said to her nana, “Nana, when you get to heaven, please send me lots of pennies so I know you’re still near.” Nana just laughed, but agreed to the request.

For four years since nana’s death, Michelle has collected dozens of pennies. Some in the strangest places, like a room that has just been vacuumed, in the shower, and in an ornament that her nana gave her.

She’s been storing all the pennies in a mason jar but recently came up with the perfect project to memorialize her nana and display the pennies.

With her husband’s help, Michelle built a board from some old barn doors. She then glued the pennies on the board in the shape of a heart. She found a card that her nana had given her before her death and scanned her signature and cut out foil words to add to the display.

Everyone loves the new display, and Michelle admits that tears spilled down her cheeks when she saw the finished product. Michelle says that she still collects pennies from her nana, but her mom says she should have asked for $20’s.

What an amazing story of friendship, family, and love. What do you think? Be sure to share this story with your family and friends.