A teen who was adopted by his older sister when he was 10 was left stunned when he was asked to move ‘his’ truck – realizing he’d been surprised with his dream ride.
In February 2020, Ash Schaper, from Fort Worth, Texas, received a call from Child Protection Services to say her 10-year-old brother Evan had been taken into protective custody.
Ash, who was eight months pregnant and living in California at the time, was listed as the primary kinship placement, and was given just a few hours to decide whether she could take Evan into her care.
While preparing to give birth and raising a toddler, she knew how much Evan needed stability and care, so she and her husband said yes and saw their family of three become a family of five within months.
Ash believed her mom would reunify with Evan, but when that didn’t happen, Ash knew she needed to provide stability and keep Evan in her care when the family relocated to Texas for work.
Over four years of foster care, Ash and Evan became used to realities of regular checks, home visits and ongoing oversight, so they spoke about Evan being adopted to give him the security he needed.
That process was completed in January 2024, and since then Evan has been thriving, seeing his sister’s daughters as his siblings and calling Ash and her husband his parents while still honoring their own sibling relationship.
With Evan now 16 and able to drive, Ash and Doug wanted to surprise him with a gift that would give him a boost for the next stage of his life, and so they purchased a Dodge 1500 and planned a big reveal.
On January 10, at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, which lined up with Evan’s adoption anniversary, the teenager was called outside to help get some items from the family’s car.
As he helped, Evan was asked if he could move “his truck”, which took a second to register before a stunned look crossed his face and he was handed the keys to his very own ride.
Ash captured the emotional moment on video, holding back tears as a grateful Evan could only say, “You’re lying,” as he took everything in.
She said: “We knew we wanted the surprise to feel completely natural.
“My husband and I asked Evan to come outside to help us grab a few things from the car, which is something he does all the time.
“When my husband asked him to go move his truck and he realized the truck was actually his, it took a moment for it to register.
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“Once it did, his reaction was immediate and emotional – a mix of shock, disbelief, and gratitude.
“Evan is the first one of our kids to experience milestones like this, and I never realized how emotional and exciting it would be to watch it happen.
“Seeing his reaction – the shock, the gratitude, the way he just stood there trying to take it all in – was overwhelming in the best way.
“It felt like one of those moments when all the hard parts of the journey suddenly made sense.
“Since that day, he’s basically been living in the truck.
“Every chance he gets, he’s out there sitting in it, cleaning it, or just hanging out.
“It’s been really special to watch how much it means to him.
“The truck represents independence and responsibility for him – it’s something he’s proud of, and we’re excited to watch him grow into this next chapter with confidence.”
