When Justin Rozier was just nine-months-old, his father, Jonathan Rozier, was killed in action while serving in the US Army.
Jonathan’s wife, Jessica, had talked to her husband only 12 hours before his death. She gave him an update on their wonderful son.
Unfortunately, Jonathan never got to meet him.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, when Jessica was trying to restore some semblance of normality to her life, she decided to sell a few of her husband’s things.
One thing in particular that she was looking to move on, was Jonathan’s black Toyota convertible, from 1999.
Because nobody could drive the car, and Jessica had a loan on the house she needed to pay off, she sold it. She didn’t think much more about it; after all, she was now raising a child on her own.
But, as Justin began to grow older, he started to ask more and more questions concerning his late father.
By the time Justin was 15, he was a carbon copy of his dad. He began to gather pictures and other things that had belonged to him.
But there was one thing Justin wanted more than anything: His father’s old car.
He couldn’t explain it, but when he was close to turning 16, he really wanted to sit in the same seat his dad has once sat in; feel the wind blowing through his hair and know that he was close to the man who had given him life.
Jessica decided to try and track down her husband’s old Toyota, which she had sold many years previous. She knew that it was probably a pointless task, but she wanted to try for her son’s sake.
She turned to social media for help. Her heart-warming story spread rapidly around the world and, before long, the unthinkable happened.
She was put in contact with the car’s current owner, who at first had no interest in selling. In the end, they decided to make a deal, and Jessica was able to purchase it. It was hardly in top condition, but, even so, Jessica would have to spend a lot of money obtaining it, and then fixing it up, before bringing it home.
One particularly kind person, Kyle Fox, heard the story and wanted to help. He gathered enough money to pay for the car and then rounded up a group of volunteers to help restore it to good condition.
On Justin’s 16th birthday, everyone came together to surprise him with his father’s old car.
Just look at the boy’s reaction when he sees the car rolling onto his driveway…
What an incredible gesture! It’s clear that Jonathan will always be in Justin and Jessica’s thoughts.
Since Jonathan’s tragic death, his family have taken each day as it comes, cherishing his memory and celebrating his life.
I’m sure he would be proud to see his 16-year-old son and wife; proud to see them putting his old car back on the road.
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