When Lauren Hernandez graduated from high school, she invited friends and family to her house for a graduation party. But what she did at the party was far from a normal celebration. Rather than making the day all about her accomplishments, Lauren wanted to share the day with someone who meant the world to her, her mother’s boyfriend of 17 years… The man she calls Dad.
In this heartfelt video, Lauren stands beside Joe Iosco– the man who raised her– and gives him a very special present. He opens it and reads a framed poem; we don’t know what it says, but he was immediately choked up. He turns and gives Lauren a huge hug, but she tells him there’s something else in the box.
He bends down and picks up an envelope of papers. Lauren is in tears before he even reads the papers. Then Joe collapses to the ground with emotion.
It turns out, the papers are adoption forms. “He’s been there for everything for me.” Lauren told Chicago CBS. “I’ve never doubted that he was my dad.” Now it’s going to be official.
Joe had been in Lauren’s life since she was one year old. “I wanted nothing more than to be her dad from day one. The graduation party gift was,” Joe says, “one of the best things I’ve received in my life.”
Watch the moment Lauren surprised Joe below.
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