Couple Adopts Late Neighbor’s Three Kids And Gets Home Makeover Out Of The Blue

Apr 05, 2021 by apost team

A loving couple made the decision to help out their neighbor one night by watching her three children in late 2016. The single night quickly became a few days, and the neighbor had sad news to share. Audrey asked her neighbors Tisha and Kevin, parents of five, to watch her three children while she went to the hospital. She hadn’t been feeling well and needed to get some tests done. Sadly, Audrey found out she was diagnosed with stage two esophageal and stomach cancer. It was terminal.

Tisha and Kevin had been watching her kids for a few days, which ended up lasting longer than expected. Audrey needed someone to take care of her children in the future. She asked the neighbors if they could take them in permanently. The couple graciously agreed, making their family of seven a family of 10.

Since then, the family has worked on helping the three children cope with their mother’s passing while providing them love and care. 

While there was plenty of love to share, there was a lack of space in the house. The kids shared rooms, and some even shared beds. There weren’t enough rooms for everyone, so one girl slept in the living room, looking into the open kitchen. The family explained how they needed to make some changes to fit everyone more comfortably.

The family was recognized by the rest of the community and nominated for a surprise with the Fox 5 Surprise Squad. The family got more than they could have ever hoped for.

The Need For Change

Tisha was raised in an orphanage, which is why she felt so compelled to take in the three children. “I’m trying to become a foster mom so I can become their mom,” she said during an interview with Fox 5. “I had to go into a foster home, and I don’t want them to have to deal with anything I had to deal with as a child because children deserve to be children.”

The family talked about how they were trying to renovate a loft into a bedroom by installing a wall and a door. Kevin and Tisha’s oldest biological child, Chad, slept on a recliner in the living room and was trying to move out so there would be more space for everyone else.

The Fox 5 crew told Tisha that they would be installing that wall, and the whole family was set to stay at a hotel for the week while they renovated the home.

“Thank you guys so much,” Tisha said. “You guys are definitely a Christmas miracle.”

Unbeknownst to the family, the crew had a surprise up their sleeve. They were going to renovate the entire house. Because of all the resources and people who volunteered to help, the Fox 5 Surprise Squad was able to pull off six weeks worth of work in just a few days.

They replaced the carpet and painted the walls. Friends and neighbors of the family worked to raise money to donate to Fox 5 so they could purchase new furniture to put in the home. The crew even put in a Christmas tree and gifts for all eight children under the tree.

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The family was welcomed back home a few days later by a large crowd and the entire Fox 5 Surprise Squad crew. The family was shocked by the overwhelming applause. They quickly discovered the surprise and everyone’s jaw dropped when they stepped inside. The children quickly went to look at their rooms to see what the crew had done.

The transformation was absolutely beautiful. Everything looked pristine and bright. “It’s the best, thank you,” one of the young boys said when he saw his new room. A few of the girls shed tears when they saw their renovated spaces.

The crew didn’t do anything to Chad’s sleeping arrangement, but gave him something even better. They gifted him $1500 to use toward getting his first apartment and moving out. But that wasn’t all. The crew also provided the family a year’s worth of free groceries from their partners Albertsons and Vons.

Kevin began crying at the unbelievable news. “It’s usually hard to figure out how we’re going to get food,” he said. “We always do it, but we’re not going to have to stress about that.” Kevin continued to cry, grateful and relieved for the generous donation.

That wasn’t the last surprise for the family. Their home wasn’t the only place lacking some extra space for everyone. The group was brought outside and met United Nissan owner Don Forman. He graciously gifted a brand new vehicle that would comfortably fit the family of 10. Everyone was amazed and broke down in tears.

The beautiful video of the surprise ended with the whole neighborhood saying “welcome home” to the grateful family.

What do you think was the most surprising part of this heartwarming story? Let us know, and be sure to send this along to your friends and family.