The Repair Shop expert Will Kirk was overcome with emotion after learning about the heartbreaking backstory of a chess set. During a clip from The Repair Shop on the Road, Will spoke with Debbi, who wanted to restore her late father's chess set, which he made himself.
However, the segment took an emotional turn when Debbi spoke about her father and how he died at the age of 37. The clip, which was shared to The Repair Shop's official Instagram, and the caption read, "To have something that I can hold, that he has held. It's invaluable.
"This incredible hand-crafted chess set was restored by our experts in #TheRepairShop On The Road, streaming now on #iPlayer."
Sharing where the chess set came from, Debbi told Will, "So my dad made the chess set. Well, I don't think he made the board, but the pieces, certainly, he molded and created."
Will beamed, "They are absolutely amazing, really good quality. What's your earliest memory of the chess set?"
Sharing the emotional backstory of the chessboard and pieces, Debbi explained, "Probably coming home from primary school and wanting to sit with dad and learn chess.
"I probably would have been five or six, you know, just that family time that comes from sitting around a board game together. I was definitely a daddy's girl. He was just such a family man. You know, family was his life. My mum says that she sees so much in me that's like my dad."
When asked why she wanted to have the board restored now, the guest continued, "My dad died when I was 13. My dad had MS, multiple sclerosis."
When Debbi was a toddler, her dad got a job abroad, and the family moved to Canada.
She remembered, "So we were in Canada, and that was the first sign that something wasn't quite right, so they made the hard decision to move back to Scotland to be closer to family.
"He went from being this guy who would be throwing me over his shoulder and, you know, playing football in the garden to a man who was bedridden. He had really progressive multiple sclerosis, and it took his life when he was 37."
Will looked visibly emotional as he replied, "Really, I'm really sorry to hear that that must have been tough on him, but also the family as well."
"Yeah, I had to grow up quicker than I wanted to, I guess," Debbi added.
Turning his attention to the chess set, Will asked, "Why is this chessboard so important to you? I mean, out of anything that you could have inherited from your dad."
Debbi told the expert, "He has put the time and the effort into crafting each piece to have something that I can hold, that he has held, it's invaluable, and that's why restoring it so that it can be used, so that I can teach my kids how to play chess on it."
Fans were blown away by Debbi's story and her father, who was diagnosed with MS and tragically died when he was 37.
"Such a beautiful chess set. I'm so sorry to hear such an awful story of your father's passing," One fan wrote.
Another said, "Fantastic story. Can't wait to watch this episode."
A third added, "Beautiful Lewis chess set replica. Love it!!!"
Someone else went on, "It's such a BEAUTIFUL chess set."
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