Daughter 'Heals Mom's Inner Child' By Surprising Her With Childhood Birthday And Barbie Replacement

A loving daughter felt like she was "healing her mom's inner child" when she flew across the country to surprise her mother with a childlike birthday party. Alma Soqui, 54, who lives in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, never had a surprise birthday party growing up, her daughter, Genevieve Torres, 30, said. Genevieve lives on the other side of the country, in San Diego, and being overdue a visit to her mom’s house, the 30-year-old decided to make up for lost time and surprise her mom with the birthday she had always wanted. Genevieve sourced childhood birthday decorations, including those incorporating rainbows and unicorns, and purchased her mom a Barbie doll. The doll itself had extra significance, Genevieve said, as when she was growing up in Mexicali, Mexico, her mom had traded her own Barbie doll for a cookie. Alma’s family didn’t have much money when she was growing up, and so she thought she was temporarily exchanging the doll for a sweet treat, only to never see her beloved doll again. Having arrived in Pennsylvania on March 27, Genevieve and her sister secretly decorated their mom's home the following day, while Alma was at breakfast with a friend. Then, when Alma returned home, her granddaughter darted outside to greet her grandmother, before guiding her inside with Genevieve and her wife to see the beautiful surprise. As she looked at the vibrant childlike decorations in front of her, Alma began to well up.