Stranger fulfills girl's wish after finding letter to her late father

HOLLISTER, California -- An 11-year-old girl coped with the loss of her father by writing him letters. But one recent letter ended up making one of her dreams come true.

The tradition started about three years ago because the child liked the idea of still being able to communicate with her dad, KSBW reports.

He passed away when Emily Hinchberger was 8 years old.

"He is a big goofball, he loves animals, and he is really funny with the ways he loves them," Emily said.

Every year, Emily writes him a letter to let him know how she is doing, releasing balloons to do the rest.

"At first it was really emotional, but now it's a lot more fun because I knew that it would somehow get to him and that he was looking out for me." Emily said.

Little did she know, those balloons would end up more than 100 miles away, connecting her to a woman that would make her dreams come true.

"My heart just dropped when I read that letter. I just couldn't imagine my child going through such a loss." said Veronica Manzo, the woman who found the balloons.

After finding her mom through social media, Manzo is arranging private horse riding lessons for Emily, an activity her dad grew up doing.

"I was thinking with the wind that maybe he did that, maybe he pushed it in the direction, so it's really cool to know that he is up there looking out for me." Emily said.

But fate doesn't stop there.

"The person we were able to get her into doing horse riding lessons with is her dad's girlfriend from high school, which will be very cool for her because I think she'll learn a lot of different stories and things about Joe when he was younger as she goes into that age, which will be really nice, said Rebecca Crawford, Emily's mother.

Emily's way to cope with loss turned into a lesson about life for the child.

"Even if you lose a loved one, there are more people around you who care and they will help you get through it." Emily said.