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  • So there's a family in Athens, Georgia,

  • whose story is a real-life version of Mark's movie Instant

  • Family.

  • Earlier this year a video went viral

  • of the mom and dad telling their foster daughter

  • that she was being adopted.

  • Look at this.

  • All right.

  • Well, there's one gift.

  • You have one more gift.

  • It's not from Grammy, but it's--

  • yeah, it's another gift.

  • I'm going to be adopted?

  • We love you, sweetheart.

  • We'll always be your parents.

  • I love you so much.

  • I love you.

  • Please welcome Paige, Daniel, and Ivy.

  • This is Mark Wahlberg.

  • There's Mark right there.

  • Yeah, it's crazy because this is really the story.

  • You heard about the movie, obviously.

  • You can't wait to see it, I'm sure.

  • Oh yes.

  • Yeah, we're like, this sounds familiar.

  • Yeah.

  • Yeah, OK, so-- and it's not just Ivy you adopted--

  • her siblings as well.

  • So how long ago, how did this start,

  • how long have you been a part of their family?

  • Yeah.

  • Yeah.

  • You don't have to answer the question.

  • Yeah, so we knew we wanted to grow

  • our family through adoption of some kind,

  • but we had never ever considered foster care.

  • We kind of had the approach that many people do,

  • that oh, I would get way too attached,

  • my heart would be broken.

  • You know, but then we had the chance

  • to actually talk with someone who fostered,

  • and they really challenged us on that.

  • They said, you know--

  • you know, we're adults, and were the most

  • equipped to deal with heartache, not children.

  • And that kind of started us on the path to fostering.

  • Yeah, and then immediately we got back home,

  • we started looking into it, started doing some training.

  • And at that time we heard some staggering statistics.

  • In our area there were over 250 kids in foster care.

  • And there were only 11 homes that were open.

  • Wow.

  • So that blew our minds, and we thought, well,

  • we don't feel ready to be parents,

  • but we're better than, you know, nothing.

  • And did you know you were going to adopt her from the start?

  • Well, when our home opened up, we got a call about a little

  • African-American boy, baby, his name was--

  • his name is Kai.

  • He's our-- he's our young-- our middle son.

  • And so, yeah, we were just head over heels for Kai.

  • But we also found out at that time about Ivy.

  • And she was in a foster home down the road.

  • So we started getting them together,

  • and then shortly after that we learned about Lita.

  • Well, the birth mom was pregnant with Lita, and so Paige--

  • Yeah.

  • --at that moment.

  • So we got a call from the hospital-- would we take Lita.

  • And I said, yes, but I didn't ask Daniel.

  • I just kind of said yes.

  • I knew he would say yes anyway.

  • So we were-- just had the two babies for a while,

  • and loved Ivy, but we weren't sure what direction the case

  • was going to go.

  • But then when it started to go towards adoption

  • they asked if we would adopt all three.

  • And of course we were like, yes.

  • We love them.

  • Yeah.

  • And so--

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • So--

  • Now, OK, here's-- the little boy is Kai?

  • Yeah.

  • OK.

  • So I heard that you go through training to be a foster parent.

  • You finished your training on a Friday,

  • and on Monday you got the call for him.

  • Mm-hmm.

  • Yeah.

  • So you had to, like, go out and get everything?

  • Like you had to get diapers and bed and everything.

  • Did you have anything?

  • Well, we-- the good thing that we did have is at our church

  • they put a support team around us, actually.

  • So we had, you know, people who were

  • dropping by that night with diapers and toys

  • and things like that.

  • Wow.

  • But, yeah, we did not have--

  • we had no experience.

  • I'll tell you that.

  • It is instant family.

  • It's the movie.

  • All right, so Mark is not just here to listen to me

  • talk to you.

  • Mark has something to say.

  • Oh yes, well, on behalf of the movie Instant Family,

  • we would love to donate a check to you guys for $25,000.

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • Oh my gosh.

  • Oh my gosh!

  • We have more with Mark after this.

  • Mark was just saying this is going to inspire

  • so many people to do this.

  • I mean, there are so many kids just that need a foster family,

  • but adoption is just so important too

  • because there's a lot of children out there

  • that need homes and, you know.

  • I mean, just look at the joy that you get to experience

  • every single day on her face.

  • It's just-- and she's saying she feels so lucky

  • because y'all are such good parents, so.

  • We're the lucky ones.

  • Yeah, really great.

  • OK, so the last time Mark was here

  • we filmed a commercial for his car dealership

  • in Columbus, Ohio, which I was responsible for a lot of sales.

  • And it went so well that we thought

  • we would do another one, and we would put you as part of it.

  • This gets a lot of pickup, so it'll help people,

  • you know, go buy cars from him.

  • All right, let's over here and--

  • [CHEERING]

  • Oh yeah.

  • All right, y'all going to get in.

  • We're going to get in the car, and we're going to be here.

  • You drive.

  • Where are we?

  • Right up there.

  • And then you got jackets too.

  • All right.

  • Try to both get in this window at the same time.

  • OK, OK.

  • We want to sell the family experience here.

  • This is a family car.

  • It's really responsible to show a child driving, Mark.

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • All right.

  • Brr.

  • Do you feel-- brr.

  • Do you feel that chill in the air, Mark?

  • I sure do, Ellen.

  • We need some more energy out of you though.

  • We're going to sell some cars.

  • (SHOUTING) There's snow on the ground, and bourbon in my mug.

  • That can only mean one thing-- it's cold here in central Ohio.

  • (SHOUTING) Then you and I should heat things up

  • around here, Ellen.

  • You're right.

  • Let's look at this shirtless photo of you.

  • [CHEERING]

  • And we can tell the good people of Ohio

  • all about the hot deals at Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet.

  • Take that down now.

  • All right.

  • You-- you're not going to believe these prices, folks.

  • I haven't see numbers--

  • Energy, energy.

  • (SHOUTING) I haven't seen numbers

  • like this since my body fat percentage in this picture

  • here!

  • [CHEERING]

  • Listen here, folks.

  • We have to get every one of these cars a new home

  • by Christmas Eve.