Teen inherits late great uncle's cherished truck as first vehicle | Happily
A teen fought back tears when his family surprised him with his beloved late great uncle's truck as his first-ever vehicle. Brodie Likens, 16, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, shared a close relationship with his great uncle Tony Gutierrez, a former police master sergeant, which stemmed from his mom Emily's fond memories with her aunt and uncle when she was younger. Emily's Aunt Nancy is only 16 years older than her, and during her childhood, Nancy and Tony became like second parents to Emily, who would spend half of her summers staying with them. This closeness was passed on to Emily's children, who had the heartbreaking experience of watching Tony battle against aggressive Parkinson's disease for the last eight years of his life. Tony's passing in July hit Brodie particularly hard, Emily said, with her son crying for days on end after hearing the news about his great uncle. It was over the summer that Emily had been searching for a first vehicle for Brodie, but nothing felt quite right. Emily's mom, Gail, then mentioned Nancy was keen to downsize, and so Tony's truck might be looking for a new home. The idea of purchasing the vehicle made Emily cry, she admitted, as Tony had spent his life working in the police force, protecting others, and so there was a sense that his beloved truck would protect Brodie, too. Having shipped the truck from Florida, Emily then called her son away from his homework, on October 9, when he was encouraged to head outside. There, the 16-year-old set eyes on what he knew was his uncle's cherished possession, saying he was fighting back tears as he went to check out the vehicle and saw his uncle's hat, which he then clutched.
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