A dad in Washington got the best Father’s day gift ever, when his stepdaughters changed their last name to his.
Marvin Bowers, of Renton, Washington, has been the father figure for Jia Dennison, 22, Jazelle Dennison, 19, since the last 12 years, when he began dating their mom, Sae, who he married.
“I forget he’s my stepdad,” Jia, a rising college senior said. “I just call him Dad. He treats me and my sister like we’re his own.”
The two sisters surprised Bowers on Father’s day with a letter telling him that they are changing their last name to Bowers.
Jazelle has already changed it, but Jia, because of some issues is having hers changed a few days later.
Jia posted a video of the emotional moment on Twitter, where it quickly went viral.
She added that sometimes her stepdad would give hints about them taking his last name especially at school awards ceremony.
“It’s my dad who’s always been like, ‘Hmmm, Bowers would sound nice,'” she said, adding that she had some reservations at first. “But I wasn’t sure because when you have your last name it does have meaning and I had an attachment, but over time I knew I wanted to do it.”
Jia finally decided to change her name because she wanted to hear Bowers when she graduated from college with a nursing degree next year, making her the first person in her family to get a college degree.
“That’s a big deal for me being a first-generation student and to think that when I cross that stage and they say, ‘Bowers,’ that’s what I want,” she said. “My stepdad is the one who raised me.”
My biological dad was a drug addict and physically abusive to my mother. 12 years ago, my stepdad brought the light into our world again. He’s always loved me and my sister as his own. And so we decided to change our last name this Father’s Day. I love you Dad. 💛 pic.twitter.com/q8XnmkypK1
— Jia 💖💚 (@jialaurenxo) June 16, 2019
Marvin and Sae Bowers have a biological daughter together, 11-year-old Maya, who will now have the same last name as her big sisters.
“She’s super excited,” Sae said of her youngest daughter. “This is full circle, like tying the bow on top of the present.”
Jia said that her biological dad was a drug addict and would physically abuse her mother, but Bowers was a ray of sunshine in their lives.
Sae said that her husband was “all smiles” after the surprise but also told her that it felt “a bit surreal.”
“From the get-go he embraced these girls as his own, just bringing what a father would be into their lives, something they never really had,” she said. “He’s just always been there, in all ways.”
They cried even more after the video, she said, “In the video it didn’t really capture us being a mess, but it continued throughout the day,” she said. “Once the camera cut off [Marvin] really cried out loud.”
“He’s great and he’s amazing and he provides for this family in every way,” Jia said.
This video really captures the true spirit of Father’s Day, because a father is someone who is there every moment for his children and never lets them down.