Wonderful Khumalo’s mother never got to see him finish high school or go on to achieve their shared dream of him becoming a medical doctor. However, with the help of AI, he was able to create a cherished memory that never happened with one who believed in his potential the most.
Gauteng, South Africa (23 September 2025) – Though many folks may have their reservations about artificial intelligence quickly shifting reality as we’ve always known it and pervading various aspects of our lives, it can also curate the most heartwarming moments that never happened.
Wonderful Khumalo shared a touching post on his Facebook recently, reflecting on how his mother had passed away when he was in Grade 11, just days before he wrote his final exams.
His mother never got to see him pass, make it to matric, finish high school or successfully make it into university – accomplishments that Wonderful dreamed she’d get to experience by his side as well as make her proud.
“For nearly a decade, we had spoken about one dream endlessly – me becoming a medical doctor,” he writes.
Many years on, Wonderful kept their shared dream alive, studied and graduated as a doctor from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2024.
Though he wasn’t able to celebrate this achievement with the one who believed he could accomplish it, through AI, Wonderful was able to create a polaroid image of him and his mother together, using an image of himself in his graduation gown and one of her portraits he still keeps today.
The result?
“A moment that never happened in life, but one I can now hold onto forever. Looking at this picture, I can almost feel Zanele’s hug – warm, real, and deeply comforting,” Wonderful lovingly reflects.
“This is what technology can do when used meaningfully: it gave me a glimpse of a memory I wish I had.”
The young man looks forward to creating another special memory in his PhD gown as he anticipates graduating from the University of Oxford, where he is a PhD candidate.
Sometimes, just sometimes, AI has an unexpected way of creating just what the soul needs, and Wonderful’s sweet post right here is a testament to that.
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