They say your past prepares you for the future. And while nothing can truly prepare you when tragedy strikes, Tisha and Kevin Beauchmin knew there was only one answer when their neighbor turned to them for help.
Tisha and Kevin Beauchmin considered themselves to be like any other Las Vegas family. Both parents kept busy with their full-time casino jobs and taking care of their five children. Their time and space were limited, but the family made it work. However, in 2017, their lives were changed forever when Tisha’s neighbor asked if she’d watch her three kids during an unexpected hospital visit.
Although they were neighbors, Tisha and Audrey did not know each other that well. Audrey was a single mother down the block and her daughter happened to be friends with one of Tisha’s daughters. So when Audrey started to fall ill, she had nowhere else to turn.
Audrey never anticipated that one night at the Beauchmin’s would turn into two, then three, and eventually a whole week. As her condition worsened, their one-night stay became a month-long sleepover. In an interview, Tisha explained, “She went into the hospital that Tuesday for the tests and was expecting to be released soon after, but her stay lasted 32 days.”
At the hospital, Audrey was diagnosed with Stage 2 esophageal and stomach cancer. She was given only a couple of months to live. Knowing anything could happen, Audrey turned to Tisha and asked if she would become the legal guardian of her children when she passed.
As a mother, Tisha could relate to Audrey’s wishes. But even more so, Tisha understood all too well the realities of being a child without a home. Tisha revealed to FOX5 that she grew up in the foster care system and did not want any child going through the same things she did. “Children deserve to be children,” she said. “They deserve a loving family and a place to call home.”
Two weeks after the diagnosis, the stage 2 cancer progressed to stage 4 and Audrey passed away.
Becoming a Family of 10
Having five children is already difficult to handle, so when Tisha and Kevin took on 3 more, it was a real challenge.
Their home was not big enough to accommodate all the kids, so they shared rooms, beds, and transformed common spaces like the kitchen and loft into bedrooms. Some of the children shared beds, and Chad, the oldest son even slept on a recliner so the other kids could use the beds.
Becoming legal foster parents also proved difficult for the Beauchmins. To adopt Audrey’s children, Tisha’s house needed another bedroom and they could not afford to build a wall in the loft.
When another neighbor caught wind of Tisha and Kevin’s story, she decided to submit it to the FOX5 Surprise Squad.
“It’s amazing that a person would – without any reservation – do that,” said Don Forman, owner of United Nissan. “It was a no-brainer once we understood what happened.”
Knowing the family could use a helping hand, the FOX5 Surprise Squad set out to give the Beauchmin’s a well-deserved surprise.
A Christmas Miracle
When the FOX5 Surprise Squad showed up at Tisha’s doorstep, she was told that they would be adding the wall to their home for them. But in true Surprise Squad fashion, the Beauchmin’s were about to get much more than they were promised.
With the help of community partners like United Nissan, Albertsons, and Vons, the FOX5 Surprise Squad was able to completely renovate their home. The walls were repainted, carpets replaced, doors replaced, landscaping fixed, and it was filled with all new furniture. In just a few days, the Surprise Squad was able to complete about 6 weeks’ worth of work.
“It was right around the holidays, so there was already a giving spirit in the air,” said Forman. “When you get a lot of people together for a good cause and they have their heart on their selves, it’s a good feeling. Everybody had a helping smile.”
The holiday spirit continued for the Beauchmin’s and along with receiving the home renovations, the team at United Nissan gifted the family a brand new passenger van fit for 12 people.
“There wasn’t a dry eye when this happened,” said Forman. “ It was incredibly moving to help Tisha out.”
But that wasn’t the end of the giving spree. The selflessness of the Beauchmin family sparked a chain of surprises and the family also received a certificate for a year’s worth of free groceries. On top of this, Chad, the eldest son, received $1500 to go toward getting his own apartment.
“For me, there’s nothing that you get this much satisfaction doing. When you’re done helping out a family or helping out a child, you get this feeling of completion and satisfaction that I don’t think you get doing anything else,” said Forman.
The FOX5 Surprise Squad, which originated in 2013, has surprised people with random acts of kindness for over 500 episodes. You can watch a playlist of episodes here.
