A teen who bonded with her stepdad over a love of trucks was left crying with happiness when he surprised her with her first-ever vehicle for her birthday.
For Kylee Fullerton, 14, and stepdad Rusty, from Bolton, Mississippi, discussing trucks had become “their thing,” her mom, Lindsay, said.
For more than a year and a half, Kylee and Rusty, 43, had been talking trucks and sending photos back and forth to each other, opining on what they liked and didn’t like about each one.
So with Kylee’s 14th birthday coming up, Lindsay and Rusty spoke about surprising her with her first vehicle – and by purchasing an old truck, Kylee and Rusty could spend the next year working on the vehicle as a project before she could legally drive.
Over the weeks leading up to the celebrations, Rusty sent Kylee hundreds of different photos of trucks, each time receiving his stepdaughter’s opinion.
Having sourced a 1986 square body Chevrolet Silverado, Rusty and Lindsay waited for Kylee to return from school, while Lindsay kept her daughter distracted as Rusty pulled the truck onto the driveway.
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Kylee then unwrapped what she thought was her main present – a purse she wanted – before she was encouraged to look inside.
At first, she took a second to process what the keys she was holding might be for, before everything clicked, and she sprinted outside to see what awaited her.
As soon as the teen set eyes on her new truck, she immediately dropped to the floor with emotion, fighting back tears and giving Rusty a big hug.
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Lindsay, who captured the moment on January 20, 2024, said: “It was very emotional for me and Rusty – with Rusty being her stepdad, he has always been there for her, regardless of the situation.
“He has been in her life since she was two, and they are inseparable.
“This moment was more than I could even put into words because of the unconditional love he has always had for her.
“He has and always will be there for his girl and after 12 years, these moments still get to me, and the emotions never stop.
“She has always called him Dad, and you would never know she isn’t his.
“She had pure gratification for the gift, and it shows in the video.
“She had no idea about this nor did she ever think we could afford to do this.
“I just wanted to share a very happy moment; I had no idea it would go so viral.”