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A normal holiday errand at Walmart took an unexpected turn when a woman realized she may have misunderstood her child’s angel tree wish and returned to the store to make amends.
For longtime Angel Tree participant Selina Neal, the response was both surprising and very meaningful. “About three years ago, I stumbled upon angel trees, and I haven’t looked back since,” Neal tells PEOPLE, explaining how a tree full of tags at a local Walmart first drew her into the tradition.
She remembers picking up the tag for the first time and shopping for her child and immediately feeling something click. The experience gave her a “very fulfilling feeling” and a sense of purpose that made her “so happy inside,” she said, and kept her coming back year after year.
After another holiday season, Neal said she missed the routine of walking down the aisle for a child she would never see again. By the time Angel Tree returned, she was ready to rejoin. Now, she says, this tradition has become “some of my best and most fulfilling vacations.”
One of the tags she pulled this year was from a young girl who listed a simple request: “A stuffed bee.” Neil doesn’t have kids, so he’s not familiar with toy trends, so when he saw the note, he took it literally and headed to the stuffed animal aisle in search of a stuffed bee.
“I thought she wanted a stuffed bee,” Neal tells PEOPLE, adding that the item felt niche, but she managed to find it. She added it to her cart, filmed her shopping experience to encourage others to participate, and went home satisfied that her wish had come true.
However, after uploading the video, comments started pouring in. The viewer explains that the child is probably not a real stuffed insect, but rather a miniature playset from Honey Bee Acres, and Neil is immediately filled with guilt.
Serena Neal
“Each ticket has only a few gifts,” she says, noting that each request actually carries weight for the families who rely on the program. She wondered if the donation was still at Walmart and decided to rush back to the store to check.
On her way home, she is seen gently asking a Walmart employee if her bag is still there. In the video, she said, “I noticed there was a tag on one of the gifts…it’s gross,” and that she wanted to correct the mistake if the donation had not already been received.
To my surprise, the bag was still on the counter. Neil headed straight to the toy store and quickly found the Honeybee Acres section, laughing as he held the set and was overjoyed at how adorable the miniature figures were.
She selected a bakery-themed kit and another small item, calling the toys “so cute” and preparing to add them to the girl’s donation. As she slipped the new items into her bag, she thanked her employees and ended with the hilarious line, “It’s a nice bee Christmas.”
The clip has since been viewed more than 7 million times, and Neil says the outpouring of kindness has been overwhelming. “My community has been really supportive,” she said, adding that she was grateful to those who pointed out the mix-up so it could be corrected.
She believes timing and a little bit of luck made this moment possible. “I thought, there’s no way that toy would still be there,” she recalled, adding that she was relieved when she learned that no donations had been collected yet.
Neil has now helped 39 children over the past three years, and the program typically takes in three to four children at a time. Her TikTok videos have reached over 100 million views, and she is often tagged in posts by people who say her content inspired them to choose their Angel Tree tag.
She calls that ripple effect one of the most rewarding aspects of sharing her experiences online. She says seeing comments like, “I saw Serena Neal doing a video for Angel Tree and that made me want to do a video too” reinforced her reason for continuing to film every season.
During a recent shopping trip for teens, she picked up a tag and immediately burst into tears. The request was short, but very personal. It was a female calico kitten belonging to a 16-year-old boy who had recently lost his emotional support dog.
“I started crying right at the entrance to Walmart,” Neal told PEOPLE. At first, she wonders if the boy wants a cat toy or a stuffed animal, but the tag clearly says “female” and she quickly realizes that it might be literal.
She decided she wanted to know and contacted the Angel Tree organization for an explanation. They contacted the family and confirmed that the boy did indeed want a real cat. This discovery made Neil emotional again.
Serena Neal
“As an animal lover myself, it was very sad,” she said, expressing the heartbreak of losing a support animal and how meaningful it felt to help in this situation.
“It ended up being a bucket list item for me and a huge emotional boost for him,” she says. Neil plans to meet the family to hand over the kitten, and also plans to provide cat food and supplies to help the kitten start its next chapter with a new companion.
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For those inspired by the program, Neal says giving doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. “You can go to your local store and find an angel tree with tags,” she says, noting that just picking out a few toys on a budget for a local drive can be effective.
She also encourages people to be social and have fun, recalling when she and her girlfriends spent a day shopping for toys and costumes together last year. She says this tradition can be a fun outing that brings people closer while helping families in need.
Neil has one simple idea about what he wants his readers to learn this holiday season. “So many people need help today,” she says. “So please reach out to your family and friends, support them, support your community and do what you can.”
