A pair of siblings who thought they were heading to their single mom’s friend’s home for a surprise birthday couldn’t contain their excitement when they discovered their own possessions and realized she had purchased their dream home.
Hard-working mom Melanie has always put her children first, moving five hours across Texas from Wichita Falls to Houston in 2018 to pick up work.
With no friends or family in Houston, Melanie later admitted that she struggled to make ends meet as she worked as a respiratory therapist at a local children’s hospital for around two years.
But in early 2020, the determined mom made a huge call to help put her family on a stronger financial footing.
As the pandemic was hitting New York, the area was in desperate need of respiratory experts and medical staff.
So Melanie drove to Oklahoma to drop her children off with their grandparents, accepted a FEMA-funded position in New York, and headed to what was, at the time, seen as the epicenter of the virus in America.
The 33-year-old said she had nearly tripled her pay in the high-risk role, working 23 days without a break and then taking just one day off a week for the rest of her three-month position.
Having then returned to Texas, Melanie worked to tackle the virus in San Antonio, during which time her improved financial position meant she could sign the papers on a new-build home for her and her children, Zachary and Kairi.
RELATED: Single Mom Working Three Jobs Surprises Kids With New Home They Think Is Just Airbnb For Night
Wanting to surprise them when their home was complete, Melanie started to move some of the family’s possessions into the house.
Having collected the kids from school, she pretended they were heading to her friend’s house for a surprise birthday.
With her camera rolling, a proud Melanie encouraged the kids to head inside, where they looked around and everything started to click.
Having set eyes on their possessions, such a piano in a spare room, Zachary and Kaira’s “brains started turning,” Melanie said, before they jumped for joy at the realization their mom had purchased their first home.
The surprise took place on September 14, 2020, but Melanie only posted her video on TikTok in March 2024, sharing it as a proud throwback to her achievement.
She said: “My kids still to this day love to watch the video of them and the house – I still get tears every time.
“At that time, I didn’t tell people I went to New York to work, as it was just a scary thing to do.
“The whole time my kids had no idea they would be walking into their new home and to this day that memory is the proudest moment of my life as a mother.
RELATED: Dog Who Only Ever Knew Apartment Living Does Excited Zoomies When He Sees New Home and Yard
“I worked so hard for them and sacrificed a lot of time I should have spent with them but in the end it was worth it.
“My kids have a wonderful community around them, it’s a safe neighborhood, great school and they have made a ton of friends – it’s been the biggest blessing.
“I didn’t realize the video would blow up like it did and it’s been nothing but positive amazing comments from everyone.
“It hurts my heart to see the comments of the single parents who pray for a home for their kids or for their moment like that.
“I just pray that the single parents out there who are struggling – just continue to work hard and keep pushing.”