So Deona asked her son to assemble a list of the top five destinations he would like to visit; his choices included Paris and Chicago.

“He loves art and studied the Mona Lisa in school so he wanted to see the famous painting and the Eiffel Tower. So I decided to make Paris the first stop on his list and allow him to finally use his passport,” she said. “I told him Chicago in case I couldn’t make Paris work, and when I determined Paris was possible, I decided not to tell him until we arrived at the airport.”

In the short video clip, Joseph is seen waiting in the airport lobby to check in for their flight. His mother hands him a closed envelope, and when he opens it, the surprise trip is revealed.

“This is for all of our hard work and [our] first trip since COVID-19. I just wanted to do a little something special for you,” Deona tells him. “A little surprise.”

After reading the card that read, “You’re going to Paris,” the teen quickly asks “when?”

“Right now!” Deona says.

Deona-Smith

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