A beloved stepdad burst into tears when his stepson of more than 20 years surprised him on his birthday by changing his last name to match his.
Josean Rodriguez, 45, from Baltimore, Maryland, has always been like a father figure to Julio, 27, having come into his life in July 2000 when Julio was just a child.
Over the years, Josean became a role model for Julio, always being there for him and his mom and treating Julio just like he was his own child.
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So, before Josean’s birthday, on September 28, Julio decided to give his stepdad the ultimate honor and change his last name to his.
Standing in his home, Josean opened his birth gift from Julio and his wife, Karla and inside, he discovered a photo of himself and Julio at a recent baseball game, which raised a smile on his face.
But then, deeper in the bag, he discovered a document wallet containing the papers necessary for Julio to change his last name to his.
When the 45-year-old realized the gift, he immediately welled up and turned away from his stepson to wipe away tears of pride.
Julio said: “My dad has been a role model and has been the one to provide guidance and raise me to turn me into the man I have turned out to be.
“Ever since he has been with my mother, I have been like his own child.
“I was totally lost for words with his reaction – I froze, trying to pull myself together.
“I wasn’t expecting anything less, as I was always his kid, blood or not.
“After all his hard work, he has been my father and deserved to the maximum, which is that I carry his last name proudly after everything we have been through in life.”
