A mum and daughter will spend their first Christmas together in 22 years thanks to a heartwarming surprise.
June O’Brien’s daughter Lorraine Kirby moved to England when she was 18-years-old and hasn’t been able to return to Ireland for Christmas due to working as a nurse in the NHS.
This year, June thought she was going to have a virtual reality call with her daughter set up by Thornton’s, Dublin Live reports.
Heartwarming footage shows June in a studio being directed to put on a virtual reality headset - with the belief she will have a video call with her daughter.
When the headset is in place, her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter line up in front of her before she is told to remove the headset.
The surprise came as part of a competition which Thorntons said would reunite families through a virtual reality experience - but after telling June there was a technical glitch, her family was standing there to say hello.
June O’Brien said: “I certainly was not expecting to take the virtual reality goggles off and see my lovely daughter and her family standing there. It was a big shock. But a great one.
"I am so grateful, that for the first time in 22 years we will be able to spend Christmas together. What a dream come true."
June’s daughter, Lorraine, added: “It was great planning this surprise for my mum and I am so pleased that we pulled it off.
"The look of surprise and elation on her face when she saw us standing there is the best gift I could have this Christmas. A huge thank you to Thorntons for making this happen.”
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