Deona Smith posted a TikTok video of her surprising her son, Joseph Smith, 15, with an impromptu trip to Paris, according to Yahoo! Life.

@deonajsmith It’s been a tough two years with COVID, homeschooling, and illnesses. We deserve to treat ourselves. ….#selfcare #MomandSon #springbreak2022 #Paris ♬ original sound – Deona Smith

The video has been viewed more 5.6 million times on TikTok. Their adventure came after a distressing couple of years after the pandemic, job loss and remote schooling. 

“I went to Italy in 2019, and he sent sad text messages because he couldn’t go. Upon my return, I got his passport because he obviously was interested in seeing the world, but COVID shut everything down so we didn’t and couldn’t travel,” she said in a statement to Newsweek

“During COVID, I worried about Joseph. He was so concerned about catching it and passing it to his grandparents that he didn’t leave the house. He went to school virtually like many kids, his grades suffered and he didn’t see his friends. Then his grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer and I got laid off from work. It was a rough two years and I knew we needed a break,” she added.

So Deona asked her son to assemble a list of the top five destinations he would like to visit; his choices included Paris and Chicago. 

“He loves art and studied the Mona Lisa in school so he wanted to see the famous painting and the Eiffel Tower. So I decided to make Paris the first stop on his list and allow him to finally use his passport,” she said. “I told him Chicago in case I couldn’t make Paris work, and when I determined Paris was possible, I decided not to tell him until we arrived at the airport.”

In the short video clip, Joseph is seen waiting in the airport lobby to check in for their flight. His mother hands him a closed envelope, and when he opens it, the surprise trip is revealed.

“This is for all of our hard work and [our] first trip since COVID-19. I just wanted to do a little something special for you,” Deona tells him. “A little surprise.”

After reading the card that read, “You’re going to Paris,” the teen quickly asks “when?”

“Right now!” Deona says.

The mother and son duo have co-founded the Culture Kids Foundation, which enables “underserved children by providing them with exposure to the arts, history and culture.”

They also have a puzzle line that features Black children to increase representation on everyday toys.