When it came time for James Calder to think up a birthday gift for his terminally ill father this year, he went big — really big: He reached out to Seinfeld cast members and asked them to send over video messages. And they did.
Calder’s father, Jim, died of lung cancer just a few days before his 67th birthday. Before his death, Jim’s family showed him videos that Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John O’Hurley, Wayne Knight, Larry Thomas, Patrick Warburton, and more sent in. “He was shocked and mystified about how we were able to reach the Seinfeld cast members,” Calder wrote for The Huffington Post. “He really felt the love and support.”
Most of the cast members stayed in character for the videos, but Louis-Dreyfus sent a heartfelt message as herself. “You have a wonderful son who clearly adores you, and so congratulations on that,” she says in the video. “You did that very well … Happy birthday. I hope it’s a great one, and I’m wishing you the very best.”
“Some of the cast members not only made videos with great birthday messages, but they were creative, thoughtful, and sincere,” Calder wrote. “These wonderful people helped to honor and celebrate my father’s birthday and provided a much needed distraction during an extremely difficult time for my family. Their kindness and compassion has humbled us to our core.”
Read Calder’s full story here, donate to the American Cancer Society on behalf of his father here, and watch some of the videos below.
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