Melissa Irons and her brothers Christian and JJ all know what a tough childhood feels like, despite their age differences.
In, 2014, when their story played out publicly, Melissa was 21, Christian was 10, and JJ just 9 years old. But they had never lived in the same home together.
A family fractured
Their mother had addiction issues and all 3 kids were in and out of foster care throughout their lives.
In fact, Melissa had joined the Marines when she came of age specifically for the structure and discipline she never got when she was younger.
And while she didn’t specify, she alluded to many foster homes being less-than-ideal. She didn’t want her brothers to grow up the same way.
As of 2014, the boys were in foster care and it appeared their mother had just tested positive for amphetamines again.
Knowing they wouldn’t be going home together any time soon, Melissa made a big decision.
Making another big commitment
That’s when Melissa decided to travel from her home in California all the way to Alabama to plead with the court to grant her custody of her brothers.
But she knew she faced an uphill battle. She had no savings, was a month behind on rent, and lived on a new Marine’s salary in an expensive state.
Her mother was also opposed to the arrangement.
But Melissa had proved herself determined to build a better life and had a large support system with good friends willing to help her out.
Pranking it FWD
A program called Prank It FWD decided to follow Melissa on her 2000-mile journey to fight for her brothers, which she was taking with her two best friends.
But they did more than send cameras.
Show host Greg Benson intercepted the women before they were about to set off to wish them luck – and to give them a few practical-but-generous-items to help them along the way.
First, he gifted them with a new cell phone since the trio only had one working phone between them. And while they had packed a few snacks, he loaded them up with some nice healthy food from Trader Joe’s so they didn’t have to stop and pay for so many meals.
An even bigger surprise was a $500 pre-paid card to help with gas expenses. That clearly took a huge load off.
But the greatest gift he gave Melissa before she set off with a simple note. It was from her landlord.
The note said that he had received the last month’s rent that she had missed (likely to help pay for the trip) and that she was now caught up. There wouldn’t be any debt hanging over her head in the event that she was able to bring home her brothers.
She was overwhelmed.
The real work begins
Because the boys are minors, all court proceedings were private, but after a 3-day road trip and a lot of stress, Melissa went to court and won custody of her brothers.
Then the film crew then followed her to their school so she could surprise them with the news. It’s then that we find out Melissa hadn’t actually seen the boys in person in 6 years!
While it had been a long time, the boys recognized their big sister immediately and their tearful reunions were heartwarming.
And both boys were thrilled to hear that they were going to their new home in California with their big sister that very day.
Home sweet home
The next time Benson and the crew from Prank It FWD saw Melissa, Christian, and JJ, they were happy at home in California.
But there was one more surprise left.
Benson arrived at their door and, in a video message they all watched together, Melissa and her brothers were beckoned outside.
He told them to look down the road where they saw 3 Toyota Rav 4 vehicles rolling up – in red, white, and blue.
The program had covered the cost of a new car – in the color of her choosing. They also took care to cover the costs of a maintenance plan, tax, title, and registration!
The family was thrilled to see the shiny cars pull up as the boys ran to check them out.
Melissa’s good deed not only brought her family closer together but earned her a chance at making a real life for her brothers.
Be sure to scroll down below to see the heartwarming video of Melissa and her brothers.
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