A 'Lucky' Family Of 5 Gets A Very Deserving Surprise

Josh and Heather Avis are blessed by 3 kids through adoption, and this lucky family of 5 gets a very deserving surprise where they can all connect and have fun together.

The man behind this surprise is Brent, who is the CEO of the organization called dude, be nice.

“We are all about building more positive communities,” shares Brent. “And sometimes it’s good just to tell the people that are building more positive communities, ‘Hey thank you, we see you’, and encourage them to keep doing what they’re doing. And that’s what we’re doing with the Avis family.”

Josh and Heather share the story of their family with Brent and how they got to where they are today.

“We couldn’t have kids, so adoption was the next option,” says Heather.

“In the beginning, we wanted a newborn baby that was healthy,” explains Josh. “And then everything flipped.”

“We got an email from our social worker,” Heather shares. She said we have a baby with down syndrome. It’s always hard to find homes for them, and my heart dropped…We meet with the doctor and it’s bad news. He says he doesn’t know how long she is going to live, her lungs are really sick, maybe she’ll live five years. I just had a vision that we could be the ones that could live with her for those five years, and I know at the end of those five years we’re not going to be like ‘Oh, that was a bad idea.’”

That baby was named Macyn and is now 11 years old.

“She’s a miracle. The thing I love about Macyn is she still has down syndrome, so she presents to the world different than the norm. And it’s been the gift of our lives,” says Heather. “And she’s shifted our perspective on everything.”

Three years later, Josh and Heather adopted their second daughter named Truly in 2011.

“Truly is amazing,” Heather shares. “She has such an incredible heart for others. No special needs, no health issues.”

Then in 2013, the couple adopted their son August who was born with down syndrome and has a congenital heart defect.

“We all have this idea of what life will be, and that’s fed to us through social norms. And my kids have broken all those social norms,” says Heather. “And that’s the gift of them.”

Heather uses her blog and Instagram account @theluckyfewofficial to share her heart and “the awesomeness of all things Down syndrome and adoption. She cares fiercely for the underdog and believes God's goodness and beauty are found in the most seemingly uncomfortable places.”

Because this family has inspired thousands of people to expect blessing in unexpected places, Brent wanted to treat them to a special dinner and had the family ride in a limo to enjoy a fun meal at Red Robin.

What a beautiful family that exudes joy and the love of the Father!