A hard-working single mom, who had been taking three buses to work and four home because her car had broken down for months, burst into tears when her family surprised her with a much-needed vehicle. Sonya Rivers, 57, from Chicago, Illinois, was so desperate for a car to get to her job at Amazon that she wrote statuses on social media, asking friends and family if she could pay monthly to use anyone's vehicle. On one social media post, where a family member had received a car, Sonya wrote her congratulations, adding, "pray that I'm next." The 57-year-old's previous vehicle broke down in April 2024, but the cost of the repairs was more than the car itself. Over the following months, Sonya was required to navigate multiple buses to get to and from work. Those days were tough for Sonya's daughter, Kiera [Key-air-a] Anderson, 33, to experience, and with the colder and darker months approaching, Kiera and her family did not want her mom to have to take multiple buses anymore. Kiera, her husband Anthony, and her brother Gentral decided they would make financial sacrifices to solve Sonya's desperate need for a car. The couple put on hold their plans to save for a house. Anthony traveled around Chicagoland after work to look for vehicles, and Gentral started working seven days a week, Kiera said. And then, on October 19, on a day Midwesterners like to call The Sweetest Day, the surprise took place. Gentral had flown in from Texas, and as a cover for the surprise, Anthony asked his mother-in-law if she would help him look at a venue for his and Kiera's tenth wedding anniversary celebrations. Instead, Sonya pulled into a library parking area where a Chevrolet Malibu was waiting with a big blue bow, her favorite color. The moment took Sonya entirely by surprise, with the gesture – and not expecting to see her son and granddaughter – bringing her to tears of joy.
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00:00Imagine taking seven buses on your daily commute.
00:09This was Grandma Sonia's reality for months after her car gave out.
00:12But as a 20-minute journey by car became a daily ordeal.
00:16I have been on public transportation for about six months, riding buses.
00:21Three buses to get to work, an hour and a half to get to work, four buses to get home,
00:26almost three hours to get home on four different buses because they run strange in my area.
00:33Her commute took a toll, and a desperate Sonia resorted to asking for help on social media.
00:38I said, I need some help. I'm not too proud to beg.
00:42Little did Sonia know, her kids were already hatching a plan.
00:46They used their savings and worked extra shifts to buy her a Chevy Malibu.
00:50Oh, my God! With the blue tooth?
00:53Right!
00:54Oh, my God!
00:56Your favorite color, blue? Look at that screen!
00:58Oh, my God!
01:00Go ahead, sit down!
01:01Go ahead, sit down!
01:03Go ahead, go ahead!
01:05Is this one?
01:07Yes, yes, yes!
01:09It is!
01:11That's the easiest tip!
01:13Oh, my God!
01:15Open up!
01:16Oh, my God!
01:18Oh, my God!
01:20I was in so much shock, and I was just so grateful.
01:25My babies, they were really listening to me. They really do love me, and they're really, really looking out for me.
01:33And the impact of this gift? Life-changing.
01:35People at work tell me, you seem so happy if something happens, and what's going on with you? It's just fantastic.
01:44From hours on buses to cruising in comfort, all thanks to the incredible sacrifice and love of her family.
01:50I'm so grateful for my children. I just love them so much. I'm just so happy.
01:55I'm so happy.