A beloved dad who persisted with a battered old truck with no A/C in sweltering Florida heat to support his family was brought to tears when his children surprised him with a much-needed new vehicle.
Dad Julio, from Miramar, Florida, used to have two vehicles: an everyday sedan, which he and his wife shared, and a 2004 Toyota Tundra truck he used for work.
But when Julio was involved in a crash in his family’s sedan, the insurance company didn’t cover the expenses, leaving him to make do with his decades-old truck.
The truck had no working A/C and had been repaired many times, his children said, so they started working on a plan to surprise him with a new vehicle, as they hated seeing him in such an uncomfortable situation.
The search also carried special significance for the children, Julio’s daughter, Elizabeth Micheli, 36, said, as they were aware of the sacrifices their parents had made for them, coming to the U.S. and working two or three jobs to provide a better life for their family.
Elizabeth sourced a “beautiful” Chevrolet Silverado with her brother, Julio, who then stored the vehicle for a few days while the siblings planned the big surprise, along with their sister, Mayrene.
Elizabeth was set to take her parents out for lunch, so she asked them to arrive at her house but not park the Tundra on her driveway, making up an excuse it would block in her car.
With Julio then in the house, his son parked the new Silverado on the driveway, wrapping it in a bow before the siblings encouraged their father to head outside.
When he first laid eyes on the truck, Julio was initially shocked, thinking it was his son’s new vehicle.
But then, when the younger Julio handed him the keys and said that he no longer needed to persist with a truck with no A/C – or make any payments on the new vehicle – the 67-year-old began to well up with emotion before heading in to be embraced by his children.
A proud Elizabeth later shared a video of the moment, which took place on January 7, 2023, on TikTok more than a year later, where viewers praised the children’s selfless act.
Elizabeth said: “Seeing my dad get emotional got me very emotional – and remembering that moment now still gets me emotional.
“It was a moment that felt so special, to be able to give our parents something when they sacrificed so much for us coming to the US and working two, sometimes three jobs to give us a better life.
“In that moment I felt how proud our father was of us, that we could do this for them, and making your parents proud is one of the most incredible feelings.