A great-grandma cried tears of joy when she was surprised on her birthday by her four-month-old great-granddaughter, who she had never met because of a months-long travel issue.
76-year-old Ann, from Orange County, California, had been dying to meet baby Hani following her birth earlier in the year, but Hani’s early arrival left her family in a difficult situation.
Hani’s mom, Maddie, 30, from California, was on vacation in Mexico during the latter stages of her pregnancy, and Hani then came early.
According to Maddie, Hani was born in the house she was staying in, which left her facing a lengthy challenge to secure a birth certificate and then a U.S. passport for Hani.
The whole process took around four months before they could book a consulate appointment – which happened to be on Ann’s birthday – Maddie said.
Having received the necessary clearances, Maddie then drove across the U.S.-Mexico border and headed to Orange County.
In a wholesome moment, captured on video on June 27, Maddie walked into her grandma’s party holding Hani, and as soon as the 76-year-old clocked her great-granddaughter, she immediately began to cry.
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Maddie said: “We were right on time – by the skin of our teeth.
“My aunt had been helping us coordinate everything since she’s the only one that had met the baby.
“She met us outside and brought us to the family for the surprise.
“You can see my sister and my niece wanting to greet us, but we had to make a beeline for grandma to surprise her.
“My grandma said it was the best surprise of her life.
“Seeing her start to cry happy tears was all we ever wanted to give her.
“We knew the best possible gift was for her to have her whole family there with her on her birthday.”