Dad takes cancer-surviving daughter for ice cream — but surprises her with a gift that leaves her in tears

Now and then, our loved ones deserve something special to make them feel appreciated. A father put his entire effort into bringing a smile to his adult daughter’s face. The 23-year-old cancer survivor, Miranda McKeon—who goes by @mirandamckeon on TikTok—headed out with her dad, unsure of what he had planned for her. The woman's dad, Paul, decided it was the perfect time to surprise her with something heart-melting during a late-evening ice cream trip. An emotional video showed the father winning the hearts of his daughter and millions of others through his kind gesture at a local Trader Joe’s in New York City (NYC).

Upon entering the store, the ice cream-loving father momentarily put the purpose of their visit on the back burner. While he told his daughter otherwise, his focus was entirely on making his way to a section near the front of the store, dedicated to flowers. The man immediately rushed to the fresh-cut blossoms to embrace their natural beauty. “POV: your dad insisted on going to Trader Joe's because he ‘really wanted ice cream at 9 pm,’” suggested the text overlaid on the footage, capturing the moment from inside the grocery chain’s outlet. Miranda further explained that despite her having suggested five dedicated ice cream parlors, her dad chose Trader Joe’s.

“I suggested five other places we could get real ice cream, but he was like, ‘No, we need to go to Trader Joe’s.’ When we walked in, he went straight to the flower section and said, ‘I thought we could pick some out together to celebrate tomorrow; you're three years cancer-free,’” the text overlay added. Notably, Miranda seemed touched when her father revealed the reason behind buying the blossoms. It was a tear-jerking moment for the cancer survivor as the video showed her being emotional while receiving her present. 

Meanwhile, Miranda’s dad seemed to be in a joyful mood as he posed with hand-picked colorful blossoms. “My father bought me five little bouquets of flowers, and I’m still crying watching this back,” she wrote in the description of the 16-second endearing footage. Immediately after receiving the gift on her third cancer-free anniversary, the daughter hugged her dad warmly. “He told me how proud he was of me. I was so shocked that he knew and cried the whole way through TJs. I'm so grateful for him,” read the text overlay. The wholesome moment became an instant hit on social media, with many people relating to how their loved ones surprised them.

Among them, @maddisennelson emphasized, “This is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. Dads definitely keep the standards for the men in our lives so high, I’m eternally grateful for my dad.”  @briannas0phiaa added, “These make me so sad and so happy at the same time. I love seeing father-daughter love, but I wish I had the same.” @brookeclinton4 echoed similar sentiments: “I will 10/10 give up my non-relationship with my dad for every girl to have this. We deserve fatherly love, but I would do my life over and over to give as many women this first love.”

You can follow Miranda McKeon (@mirandamckeon) on TikTok for more lifestyle and wholesome content.