A GRIEVING schoolboy who posted a letter to his great-grandmother in heaven received a tear-jerking reply from the 'pearly gates response unit' at Royal Mail.

Dylan Dubber, nine, penned the heartfelt letter to great-nan Monica and addressed the envelope 'To Heaven' before popping it in the postbox.

A week later him and mum Rachel, 31, were shocked to find a letter in the post addressed to 'The parents of Dylan Dubber'.

A Royal Mail employee had replied to Dylan reassuring him his letter was on "a very special journey to the stars so that it reaches her today".

Mum-of-three Rachel said the heartwarming reply has "done wonders" for her little boy and has finally let him come to terms with his first sense of loss.

Rachel, from Reading, said: "It was just the nicest thing. It's definitely helped Dylan with his grief.

"It was his first experience of loss and he is autistic so struggled to understand the emotion he was feeling.

"I spoke to my postman about it and she said it's very rare for an employee to go above and beyond like that. It's really quite special.

Dylan's great-nan Monica Dubber, 84, died on July 10 2020.

Rachel said when she broke the news to Dylan it took a while for it to sink in.

"She was in a care home and I had told the kids she was very poorly and wouldn't get out," said Rachel.

"But I think he just wasn't aware and was too young to appreciate.

"When I told him she has passed away at first it didn't sink in and then later that night it just hit him like a tonne of bricks.

"It was his first loss and had never felt grief so he was crying uncontrollably until something like 2am."

Crippled by grief, mum Rachel suggested he write a letter to his great-nan and post it to heaven.

The letter said: "Hi nanny G. I will miss you a never forget you.

"I have Ellie and she helps me not feel sad.

"I looked at your star tonight and I drew a picture which I'm sending you.

"Love you from Dylan xxx."

The reply from Vincent in the Pearly Gates Response Unit at the Reading sorting office came days later.

The letter, which came with Haribo sweets and dog treats for cuddly toy elephant Ellie, said: "I am writing to you to let you know that I have made a copy of your lovely letter to your Nanny G and have sent it on a very special journey to the stars so that it reaches her today.

"I was very sorry to hear that she has left you but remember all the happiness and good times that she brought you as I am sure she would not want you to feel sad.

"I am glad you have Ellie to help keep you happy through this, it is important to have someone to support you through difficult times.

"Keep your eye on the night sky as I'm sure Nanny G can't wait to reply to your letter.

"And keep drawing lovely drawings for her, she will love seeing them.

"Yours truly, Vincent Eames, Royal Mail Pearly Gates Response Unit."

Rachel said she never expected a reply.

"Because it was a gesture I just used an old bill envelope and popped it in there," she said.

"We put our address on the back so she knew where it had come from.

"After we posted it he kept asking how I would know if it reached heaven and I was running out of answers to give him.

"They must be so busy these days with people ordering more online so the fact he spent the time to do this really is quite something.

"Dylan's been carrying around his toy elephant Ellie which his great-nan bought him from a car boot sale.

"It's been helping him out but the guy thought Ellie was a dog so put some Haribo and some dog treats in the envelope too which was quite funny.

"That letter did wonders.

"I reached out to him on Facebook to thank him for what he did.

"Dylan has accepted it now and we let off some little balloons last week as a goodbye to her."

A Royal Mail Spokesperson said: “We’re very pleased to hear such a heart heart-warming story. We are always proud of our people as they are often at the heart of the communities they serve.”