A determined immigrant father who drove a banged-up old car without a roof to save money for his kids fought back tears of joy when his daughter surprised him with the truck he always dreamed of.
Mauricio Moreno, 57, from Salinas, California, never complained about his situation, getting soaked while driving to work in the rain in his 1998 Isuzu Amigo, but knowing that his financial approach was putting his family first.
Mauricio emigrated to the U.S. to follow the American dream, his family said, but, at times, he struggled to make ends meet, working as many extra hours as possible to put food on the table.
Later in life, a selfless Mauricio also sacrificed any chance of his main dream in America – owning a truck – because he used the savings he had built up to help his daughters get through college.
Mauricio’s daughter, Alexis, was well aware of her father’s sacrifices, so for years, she told her sister, Vanessa, that she intended to buy her father the truck he always wanted.
Having sourced a 2023 Ford F150, Alexis planned for the big surprise outside her parent’s home.
With Maurcio’s other children – Anna, Mili, Diego and Jerry – present, along with his niece, wife and other family members, the 57-year-old was encouraged to head outside, where he was shown the vehicle.
Alexis owns her own agriculture company, so it is not unusual for her to arrive at her father’s home in trucks she purchased for work, Vanessa said.
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But after Mauricio had been encouraged to take a seat inside the truck and look around, he was then told the big news by Alexis: that the vehicle was, in fact, his, as a thank you for all his sacrifices.
The realization made Mauricio well up with tears of joy before his family members took turns giving him a big hug.
Vanessa later shared a video of the moment on TikTok, which received millions of views.
Alexis, 31, said: “I got very emotional, and for the first time in a long time, I felt happiness.
“It hurt my feelings that it was just another verification that my dad always put his daughters and sons before his own needs.
“I felt very blessed to be able to do that for him.”
Vanessa added: “The response to this video was very overwhelming in the best way possible.
“We heard so many stories in the comments about how a lot of people wish they could do this for their dads who have unfortunately passed.
“That just makes us appreciate him even more.
“We just want to thank all of the field workers in America, that are majority Mexican, as they are truly the heart and souls of the U.S.A. and our heroes.”