He secretly paid off his dad’s mortgage. When he told him why, his father choked up

As kids, our parents are our superheroes — they don’t get tired, always get us our favourite toys, and put food on the table. As we grow up and wisdom kicks in, we realize that they are ordinary people who sacrifice their comfort and put in immense labour to make ends meet, for our needs and desires to be fulfilled. Vlogger Champ — who goes by the username @champtgram on Instagram — posted a video of him surprising his dad by taking some responsibility off his shoulders. What follows is a largely emotional dream that most children hope to be able to achieve for their aging parents.

The video begins with Champ telling his father about a gift he bought him — he says, “I cannot actually go grab your present.” His confused father thinks it’s a “virtual present,” which Champ clarifies, “Whenever we were at the beach, earlier, like we jokingly said like 20 times, like what if I redid the floors in the house — I redid the floors in the house.” His father, who cannot believe his ears and suspects his son is lying, confirms the information by questioning him repeatedly.

Champ reveals that he is, in fact, lying about it — this is when he goes on to reveal the real surprise. “I am lying… because I paid off the house,” he says. After a significant pause, a gush of surprise and disbelief, his dad asks him how he did it.  “Bank transfer,” Champ shoots back. He mentions calling someone to make it happen and adds, “It’s done… I swear to God…” When he sees his father subtly tearing up after hearing the news, he tries to comfort him, “Hey, you don’t have to say anything, but it’s done. Can I get a hug?” To give his dad some privacy, this is the point at which he turns off the video.

This wholesome incident helps us understand how responsibilities naturally shift from parents to children when they grow up. A study by Cristina Cu Hendrix, Associate Professor at the Duke University School of Nursing, talks about this shift in roles. “Caregiving is a journey, and it has a starting point. Usually, that starting point is upon the diagnosis of a medical condition, and the endpoint is the death of the patient,” she added. “We are also seeing an increase in the number of virtual caregivers, or distant caregivers. Some even live out of state, but they’re very much involved in ensuring that their parents are receiving the care that they need.”

However beautiful this may sound, it has its set of drawbacks. Hendrix's research also mentions how this can add significant financial burdens on the adult children due to the high expense of health care. Another study by Noriko Toyokawa and others suggests, “When older parents experience age-related functional limitations, adult children may begin to monitor and try to control their parents’ behavior. This shift can lead to tension due to differences in values both generations share, with parents prioritizing autonomy and self-sufficiency and adult children prioritizing safety and convention.”

After watching the heartwarming video, people began sharing their views. @iamdanbright wrote, “I trust one day I’ll do this for my parents too,” while @haleywhitten_ praised, “The respect you have for him and his privacy, as well as asking if he wanted a hug, is the sweetest moment. You’re a blessing, and I’m sure your parents are proud. You’re amazing.” Finally, @pascgas exclaimed, “Turning the cam off was probably the realest move I saw an influencer pull in a long time… Good job, brother!”

You can follow Champ T (@champtgram) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.