Parents routinely sacrifice their own wants and needs in order to provide for their kids. Dave Frase is among those. More than 40 years ago, he had to give up on his dream car so he could help raise the kids of the woman was to marry.
Dave Frase proposed to the mother of Janis Higgins in 1976 and promised to adopt and take care of her children. Higgins and her younger brother were still small when Frase stepped up and became the provider for their family.
Yet, to ensure that he could actually provide, Frase had to give up his 1973 Corvette Stingray. After all, the sleek sports car was not going to work for a family of four.
Higgins never forgot the sacrifice her stepfather made for them. Therefore, when she grew up to a successful middle-aged businesswoman in Austin, Texas, she decided to repay Frase’s sacrifice by buying his dream car.
In March 2018, Higgins uploaded a personal video of her surprise for Frase on her YouTube business page. It garnered more than 6.2 million views and over 5,000 comments. Although it has been years, the viral video still draws reactions from viewers and interviews from the press who want to know the story behind her precious gift.
On June 16, 2022, in a post on Facebook, Higgins wrote that she never regarded Frase as a stepfather as he was “the one and only dad” she and her brother knew. The young woman also praised her father for doing “a million things he didn’t have to do,” as his wife’s children weren’t biologically his. Higgins also added that Frase loved her and her brother unconditionally even if they were not related. Frase was always there for them no matter what happened.
Higgins was able to surprise Frase by conspiring with her husband and other family members, and it happened after they dined at a restaurant. When the family got to the parking lot, Frase immediately saw a familiar-looking green sports car and remarked that he used to have an old Stingray that looked exactly like the one parked outside.
The family walked toward the car and Higgins told Frase that she remembered and knew how much that car meant to him. She then proceeded to hand the key to the Stingray to her baffled father and told him that it was her way of saying thanks for everything he did for her, her mom, and her brother.
But everything didn’t end here. Higgins continued to surprise Frase when she pointed out to him that the Stingray’s license plate read “YDHT.” Higgins then explained to her dad that this meant, “you didn’t have to.”
This unexpected gesture made Frase overwhelmed. He then hugged his daughter tightly and gently sobbed in her arms. They stayed locked in each other’s arms for minutes and then Frase planted a kiss on Higgins’ forehead.
The daughter proceeded to let her dad inspect the car, which was repaired and upgraded but was still in mint condition.
Meanwhile, Frase turned 85 in November 2022 and was able to go on a trip with his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.
“So happy you are healthy again and able to take a trip to New Bern with us!” Higgins wrote on Facebook. “So thankful for you and love spending time together!”
Video:
