A California woman honored her stepfather of 27 years in the most meaningful way possible when she secretly named her newborn son after the man who raised her as his own daughter since she was three years old.
Elijah Mario Murga arrived eight weeks early at Kaiser Fontana Medical Center on June 14, forcing Bethany Ruvalcaba, 30, and her partner Bryant Murga, 31, to improvise their carefully planned surprise. The Lake Arrowhead mother had kept the naming decision secret for eight months, originally planning to reveal it with a personalized blanket or ultrasound picture.
Instead, the moment unfolded in the NICU with Bethany recovering from birth and watching via video call as Bryant led her stepfather Mario to meet his new grandson.
“Elijah,” Bryant announced when Mario asked about the baby’s name. After Mario smiled, Bryant added the crucial question: “Elijah what?”
The answer – Elijah Mario Murga – left the veteran grandfather visibly overcome with emotion.
“Shut up!” Mario exclaimed through tears, wiping his eyes as the magnitude of the honor sank in. The raw reaction was everything Bethany had hoped for when she decided to recognize the man who had raised her and her brother as his own children.
“When I saw my dad’s reaction on the FaceTime call, a wave of emotions washed over me,” Bethany said. “I felt sad that I couldn’t be there in person to tell him myself, but at the same time, I was filled with so much joy seeing him in complete shock.”
The touching moment resonated far beyond the hospital room. When Bethany later shared the video on social media, friends and family responded with overwhelming support for the decision.
“When we shared the news with family and friends, so many people responded with things like, ‘Mario deserves this and more,'” Bethany recalled. “Everyone knows my dad has truly been my dad since the day we met.”
For Bethany, the early arrival and unexpected NICU setting made the moment even more special than her original plans.
“It was raw, emotional, and unforgettable – a moment I’ll cherish forever,” she said. “It turned out to be something even more meaningful in its own way.”
The surprise name reveal stands as a testament to the bonds that define family – not just blood, but the daily acts of love and commitment that Mario has shown for nearly three decades as Bethany’s father figure.
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