LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio couple Michelle and Don Beauchene have had six children of their own, and were looking forward to becoming empty nesters. That plan changed when Michelle Beauchene recently met a young girl, Liliana, at the preschool where she worked.
Liliana, or Lily, was in foster care, and the bonding between her and the Beauchenes was immediate. Don and Michelle adopted Lily, and that set a course of events in motion that would see the Beauchene family transformed in ways they had never anticipated.
On the day Lily's adoption was being finalized, the agency called the Beauchenes and told them that Lily's biological mother was about to give birth to another daughter, who would immediately be placed into foster care. So they asked if the couple would adopt her, too. Without hesitation, the Beauchenes said "Yes." Lily and her new sister, Lucy, would be able to grow up together.
This was not the last twist of fate for this unexpectedly-growing family.
After watching a local news story on a young girl in foster care who needed a liver transplant, Michelle Beauchene remarked on the child's strong resemblance to Lily. And there was good reason: the girl in the segment, Jamie, was Lily's older sister—and she had a brother, Jeremiah, also in foster care. Jamie received her transplant from a living donor, and the Beauchenes worked with the adoption agency to unite her and Jeremiah with Lily and Lucy. On November 2, Jeremiah and Jamie, who chose new legal names, London and Brooklyn, officially became members of the Beauchene family and joined their siblings.
The Beauchenes' compelling story was featured on Good Morning America on November 6; you can watch the full segment here. When approached by GMA producers with the opportunity to help the Beauchenes as they begin this new, unexpected life as an expanded family, Hyundai eagerly pitched in.
"We were profoundly moved by the Beauchenes' story," said Dean Evans, chief marketing officer of Hyundai Motor America. "Michelle and Don didn't hesitate when blessed with the unique opportunity to welcome these children into their family and unite them under one loving roof. We didn't hesitate when we got the chance to show our appreciation for what they've done."
The Beauchenes will be the first family in America to receive the all-new 2020 Hyundai Palisade eight-passenger SUV, courtesy of Hyundai Motor America.
To commemorate the special moment on GMA, the Beauchenes were presented with a vehicle key in studio and shown an image of the Hyundai Grandmaster concept, which previewed the Palisade's premium styling. This week, the Beauchenes were guests of Hyundai Motor America at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show to witness the Palisade's global debut and get a closer look at the vehicle due to arrive in their driveway this summer.
"We're so pleased that Michelle and Don were able to join us here in LA," Evans said. "We hope their new Palisade takes them and the kids on many new adventures and helps them forge some great and lasting family memories. It's our privilege to be a small part of that."
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundai's technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide, with the majority sold in the U.S. built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.
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