Dad left in tears as Christmas teddy lets him listen to his late mother's voice

A father refused to upgrade his phone, as he feared he'd never hear his mum's voicemail again.

For many of us who have lost loved ones, either recently or a little bit further in the past, being able to keep reminders of their presence can sometimes serve as a deep comfort during times when we feel like we really miss having them around.

For one father in North Carolina, this particular sentiment led to his refusal to upgrade his phone, out of fear that he would not be able to transfer a voicemail from his late mother on to the new handset.

Presenter Simon Thomas has teddy bear made with his late wife’s dressing gown for son

His daughter, Twitter user Melia, didn't like the idea of him being stuck with an old phone for the rest of his life. So she came up with a clever solution with her sister that doubled up as one of the most touching Christmas presents we've seen this year.

The two sisters from Winston-Salem decided to transfer the sentimental voicemail message into a teddy bear. The bear releases the sound of his late mother's voice each time it's given a squeeze.

Melia took to Twitter to share with follower's their father's reaction as he opened the present. She wrote: 'My dad refuses to get an iPhone because a voicemail from his mom that passed away won’t transfer from an android, so me and my sister put it in a bear. Merry Christmas, dad.'

In the short video, you can watch Melia's father opening up a box and taking out the teddy.

Although he initially looks pleased to have received a sweet teddy as a present, he becomes emotional when he's instructed to press the teddy and the touching voicemail plays out for him to hear.

The clip, which was posted on Christmas day, has since gone viral and has received 7.81 million views so far.

Many Twitter users replied to the heartwarming video with stories of their own lost loved ones. One very touchingly shared how he also finds comfort in his late mother's voicemails:

Another user wrote: 'I understand. I have my late brother's message on an old answering machine. I don't use it anymore, but I check it periodically and it has lasted years.'