- In 2014, Laura Strange’s mom, Yvonne Katherine, called her to wish her a happy birthday. Laura missed the call, so her mom left a voicemail singing “Happy Birthday”
- At the time, Laura, who had moved out of state, thought the message was cute and decided to keep it saved on her phone
- On Feb. 12, 2025, at age 79, Yvonne Katherine caught the flu, which progressed into pneumonia and ultimately led to her death
- Right after her mom died, Laura went through every voicemail she had saved from her. She listened to all of them, but the one of her mom singing to her on her birthday in 2014 stood out
In 2014, Laura Strange’s mom, Yvonne Katherine, called her to wish her a happy birthday. When Laura missed the call, her mom left a voicemail singing “Happy Birthday.” At the time, Laura, who had moved out of state, thought the message was cute and decided to keep it saved on her phone.
Living in Newport Beach, Calif., Laura knew deep down that someday this voicemail would become a sacred treasure. “I held onto it all these years because I think, in some way, I was preparing my heart for the moment I’d need it the most,” says the 32-year-old recruiter, speaking exclusively to PEOPLE.
Laura and Yvonne Katherine were incredibly close. The two were best friends, and Laura would call her multiple times a day. She recalls that the mother-daughter pair would always count down the days until they could see each other again. Every year since Laura moved away from home in 2014, they started an annual tradition of taking a girls’ trip to a tropical destination — Hawaii, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and beyond.
“It became our special way of celebrating together. She would always be the one to make my birthday so special every year,” Laura says.
“I admired her thoughtfulness more than anything, and the way she carried such a carefree, joyful approach to life,” she adds. “She never took things too seriously and always found reasons to laugh and love deeply.”
Courtesy of Laura Strange
On Feb. 12, 2025, at age 79, Yvonne Katherine caught the flu, which progressed into pneumonia and ultimately led to her death. Right after her mom died, Laura went through every voicemail she had saved from her. She listened to all of them, but the one of her mom singing to her on her birthday in 2014 stood out.
“It captured her spirit, her joy, her love for me in such a pure way,” Laura says. “It was like getting a little piece of her back, even if only for a few seconds.”
“I feel things deeply and try to emotionally prepare myself for life’s hardest moments. But no amount of preparation could truly prepare me for losing her,” she adds. “Even though this is my new reality, it still feels surreal. That voicemail felt like a reminder of her love when I needed it most.”
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Courtesy of Laura Strange
After coming across the voicemail, Laura decided to film a video of herself listening to it. In a moment of grief, she posted it to TikTok as a way to feel connected to her mom again. “I’ll be listening to this on repeat on April 3,” she captioned the TikTok.
She wasn’t nervous; instead, she just felt like she needed to get it out of her body somehow. It wasn’t about views or attention; it was a real moment of vulnerability. She didn’t expect it to resonate with so many people, but then the video went viral, amassing nearly 700,000 views and more than 2,500 comments.
“I was shocked at first,” she says, recalling her reaction to the video’s reach. “I thought maybe a few people would relate. It made me realize how many people are quietly grieving too. It turned into something so much bigger than I ever imagined, something meaningful.”
“Reading the comments was emotional in the best way,” she adds. “Most people were so kind, so open about their own losses, and it made me feel like I wasn’t alone. All of the messages have been meaningful, from sending condolences to sharing their own personal stories. I am grateful to have been able to connect with so many people and give them a space to feel seen in their grief.”
“So many people have reached out to share their stories,” she continues. “Some have lost their parents too, others are caring for aging loved ones, and some just wanted to say they felt seen. It’s opened up conversations that are often avoided because grief is uncomfortable for people to talk about. But when we do, it creates connection. And that’s powerful.”
Courtesy of Laura Strange
For Laura, sharing more about her relationship with her late mom online has helped her become more intentional about honoring her memory in everyday life. It’s also reminded her how many lives her mom touched just by being herself, and how deeply her spirit lives on in her.
“Sharing this publicly also helped me grieve in a way I didn’t know I needed, to feel seen, validated, and held by others who understand loss,” she says.
“I want to continue doing the things she loved — spending time by the ocean, traveling to places we used to go, playing her favorite music and dancing like no one is watching,” Laura adds. “I have a journal dedicated to her, and I write letters to her in heaven. She was also a phenomenal cook, so I plan to take all of her recipes and make a cookbook out of them.”
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