A thoughtful husband gave his mother-in-law a gift she would never forget as he picked her up in a cart and took her back to the beach that she had walked on every day before a stroke stopped her from doing so two years earlier.
Previously, Mary Jane Hynes, 79, would walk on the beach every day with her dog, Yogi, seeing the sands as her happy place.
But back in 2020, Jane suffered a stroke, which, combined with the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, meant she had to undergo isolated rehab for seven months.
When she was finally able to head home, Mary fell on the first night, breaking her wrist and requiring more rehab.
Months later, another fall made her family decide that it was time to convince Mary to head into assisted living, all while not paying for a trip to the beach that she loved so much.
Fast forward to March 25, 2022, though, and Mary’s son-in-law, Brian Kucaba, 46, decided it was time to give his mother-in-law a big surprise.
While Mary was at Brian and his wife Moira’s home on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina, the island’s fire engine turned up, along with a couple of beach rescue videos.
Mary was led outside, where Brian helped her onto one of the carts, which took him, his mother-in-law and her grandchildren to the beach.
There, a beaming Mary was able to experience the sands once more as the cart drove back and forth, and Mary looked out at the waters.
That surprise, in fact, was not the only one Brian planned that day: earlier, he had sourced a yellow Volkswagen Beetle, which he took Mary for a ride in, knowing her love of the cars, given that she used to own a red one.
Speaking of the moment, Moira, who captured both surprises on video, said: “My husband is quite possibly the most thoughtful person I know.
“Seeing my mom’s reaction made my heart content.
“I was happy and crying tears of joy.
“The response to the video that I shared of the moment has been amazing.
“I’m a big believer that the world needs more good news.
“I just hope the video brings a smile to people’s faces and reminds them to take the time for those we love.”